LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



A PRIMARY HISTORY 




ATTACK ON A PURITAN HOME. 



PRIMARY HISTORY 



OF THE 



UNITED STATES 

FOR INTERMEDIATE CLASSES 




Copyright, 1885. by 

A, S. BARNES & COMPANY 

NEW YORK AND CHICAGO 



BARNES' BRIEF HISTORY SERIES. 



BAPvXES" BRIEF HISTOHY OP THE IGNITED STATES, 

FuK THE USK OF SCHOOLS. 12M0. ILLUSTRATED. 

BARXES' BRIEE HISTORY OF FRANCE, 

For the use of Schools and for Private Reading. 
12mo. Illustrated. 

BARNES' BRIEF HISTORY OF ANCIENT PEOPLES 

For the use of Schools and for Private Reading. 
12mo. Illustrated. 

BARNES' BRIEF HISTORY OF GREECE, 

With Select Reading-s from Standard Authors, 

1'2jio. Beautifully Illustrated. 

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With Select Readings from Standard Authors. 

12.MO. Beautifully Illu.strated. 



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MODERN PEOPLES, 

For the use t>F Schools and for Private Reading. 
12mo. Illustrated. 



BARNES' BRIEF GENERAL HISTORY. 

The Ancient, Mediaeval, and Modern Peoples. 

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ffjace 



The most casual observer can not 
have failed to notice that ^vithin a few 
years past a taste for the study of Amer- 
ican History has been rapidly growing 
in this country. To ixieet the demand 
which this taste has created, historical works are coming from the 
press almost as profusely as popular novels ; and no articles that 
appear in the magazines and newspapers of the day, are more accept- 
ahle or more generally read than those which treat of historical 
subjects. 

A most gratifying feature of this tendency is that it has reached 
our common schools, and that pupils in the lower grades, where 
history has never before been taught, are eagerly seeking to know 
something of their country's history. The great difficulty, however, 
in the way of teaching history in the intermediate and primary 
grades, heretofore, has been the want of a proper text-book. This 
little book is designed to meet this want. In its preparation, an 
effort has been m.ade to tell the story of our country in a simple 
and natural manner. The language used, while it is not above the 
comprehension of pupils of the grades for which it is intended, is not, 
on the other hand, beneath them — an error too generally committed 
in works of this character. That there is a fundamental difference 
between simplicity of thought and simplicity of expression, is a fact 
Which has been borne in mind throughout. 



VI PEEFACE. 

At the end of each chapter will be found a series of carefully 
prepared questions, and references to historical poems and ballads, 
which embody incidents treated of in the text. The judicious teacher 
will find the latter of great service in selecting material for reading 
or recitation in connection with the history lesson. Nothing, it may 
be said, will aid more in fixing a fact of history in the memory of a 
boy or girl than a stirring ballad or poem, in which the fact or inci- 
dent is pictured before them with all the charms of imagination. 
When, for example, the story of the fight between the "Constitution 
and the G-uerriere " is being studied, the teacher will find au added 
stimulus given to the lesson by causing some bright pupil to read 
or recite Holmes' fine poem of "Old Ii-onsides". Where, in any par- 
ticular instance, the ballad or poem is considered too difficult for the 
pupils, it should be read or recited by the teacher. 

That the current of the story might be impeded as little as pos- 
sible, many minor topics and incidents, generally found in school 
histories, have been omitted from this little book altogether. This 
has afl"orded opportunity for a fuller and broader treatment of the 
more important events than is usually given in elementary works 
on historj'. 

While dates have been freely supplied at the beginning of each 
paragraph, to indicate the chronological sequence of the story, few 
have been introduced in the body of the narrative ; for experience 
teaches that nothing tends more to confuse and bewilder the his- 
torical student, young or old, than a naultiplicity of dates. The 
dates of the great events, the turning points of history, are the only 
ones really necessary to be committed to memory by any student. 
It is infinitely more important that the pupil should be able to give 
the causes of an historical event, and its relation to or dependence 
on other events, than the date when it occurred. 

The youth of the present age are bright and inquisitive. They are 
not to be put off with a mere recital of facts, but want to know the 
why and the wherefore of everj^ thing. Recognizing this wholesome 
propensity, an attempt has been made throughout this little book to 
diffuse, in a familiar way, just enough of the philosophy of history 
to give the young beginner an idea of cause and effect in human 
affairs. 

The superior artistic and mechanical execution of this work, on 
which no expense has been spared, show that the publishers realize 
their responsibilities as educators of the public taste. 




PAGE 

The Indians H 

The Mound-Builders 13 



INTRODUCTION. 

The Northmen. 



PAGE 
... 14 



Part I. — Early Discoveries and Settlements. 



Pour Hundred Years Ago 15 

Marco Polo and his Travels 15 

The Compass and the Astrolabe 16 

Columbus' Idea 16 

Columbus in Search of Help 17 

The Voyage 17 

The Discovery 18 

Columbus Returns to Spain 20 

Later Voyages of Columbus 20 

The Voyages of the Cabots 21 

Amerigo Vespucci 21 

Ponce de Leon 22 

Verrazani 22 

De Narvaez 23 

Jacques Cartier 23 



Ferdinand de Soto 23 

The Mississippi River 24 

Pifty Yeai's after the Discovery of 

America 25 

The First Colony in America 25 

Menendez 25 

Frobisher 26 

Sir Francis Drake 26 

Sir Humphrey Q-ilbert 26 

Sir Walter Raleigh 26 

One Hundred Years after the Dis- 
covery of America 27 

The Beginning of a New Century... 27 

The First English Settlement 28 

Henry Hudson 28 



Part II. — The Colonies 

Virginia. | 

Character of the Colonists 31 

Captain John Smith 32 

The Starving Time 33 

Slavery 35 



G-rowth of the Colony 35 

The Indian War 3.5 

Oppression of the Colony 36 

Bacon's Rebellion 37 



Vlll 



CONTENTS. 



Paet II. — Continued. 



PAGE 

New York. 

The Dtitcti in New Netherland 38 

Tlie Dutch Grovernors 40 

New Amsterdain "becomes New York 40 

English Rule 40 

Leisler's Rebellion 41 

Oppression of the Colony 41 

Massachusetts. 

The Plymouth Company 42 

The Pilgrims 42 

The Landing of the Pilgrims 42 

Hardships of the Colonists 43 

Massachusetts Bay Colony 45 

King Philip's "War 46 

Atrocities of the Indians 46 

The Indian Power Broken 47 

Effect of the War 47 

Character of the Colonists 47 

Union of Plymouth and Massachu- 
setts Bay Colony 48 

New Jersey, 

Original Grants 48 

Troubles with New York 49 

Division of New Jersey 49 

Dissatisfaction of the Colonists 49 

Maryland. 

Lord Baltimore 50 

Religious Preedom 50 

Clayborne's Rebellion 50 

Civil Troubles 51 

CivH War 51 

Rhode Island. 

Roger Williams 51 

Williams' "Views 51 

Governor Winthrop's Kindness 52 

The Providence Plantation 52 

The Rhode Island Plantation 52 



PAGE 

The Charter of the Combined Col- 
onies 53 

Religious Freedom 53 

Connecticut. 

The Connecticut Colony 53 

The Pequod War 53 

An Appeal to Roger Williams 54 

The Pirst Bloodshed. 54 

Destruction of the Pequods 55 

The New Haven Colony 55 

The New England League 55 

Union of the Connecticut Colonies.. 56 
The Charter Concealed 56 

NcAV Hampshire, 

Pirst Settlements 56 

The Charter Withdrawn 57 

Changes in Government 57 

Difficulties of the Colony 57 

DelaAvare. 

The Pirst Colony 58 

Settlement of New Sweden 58 

Conquered by the Dutch 58 

Captured by the English 58 

Pennsylvania. 

The Grant to William Penn 59 

Pirst Settlement 59 

The Quakers and the Indians 60 

Government of the Colony 62 

Growth of the Colony 62 

The Carolinas. 

Pirst Settlements 62 

The Albemarle Colony 63 

The Plans of the Proprietors 63 

The Carteret Colony 64 

Character of the Colonists 64 

Government of the Colony 64 



CONTENTS. 



IX 



Part II. — Continued. 



Georgia. 

James Oglethorpe's Scheme. 

The First Settlement 

Troubles with the Spaniards 
■Government of the Colony... 



Go 
Go 
06 

07 



The French in North America. 

Early French Explorations 09 

Champlain G9 

Marquette 69 

Xia Salle 71 



PAGK 

The Colonial Wars. 

King William's War 73 

Queen Anne's War 74 

King George's War 75 

The French and Indian War 76 

How the War Came About 77 

The First Fight 77 

Braddock's Defeat 78 

The War in the North 80 

The Battle of Lake George 80 

English Disasters 81 

How a Change Came About 82 

The Capture of Quebec 82 

End of the War 83 



Part III. — The Revolutionary War. 

other Events of 1775. 



Treatment of the Colonies 85 

The Navigation Act 86 

Acts of Trade 87 

Eestricting Foreign Trade 87 

Writs of Assistance 88 

Training the Colonists 89 

Origin of the Trouble 90 

The Stamp Act 90 

The Mutiny Act 92 

The Boston Massacre 92 

The Tea Tax 92 

Getting Ready for War 93 

The " Minute Men " 93 

How the War Began 94 

The Rally after Dexington 97 

Battle of Bunker Hill 97 

Capture of Ticonderoga 98 



99 

Early Events of 1776 100 

The Declaration of Independence.. 100 

New York taken by the British 100 

Washington's Retreat 101 

Battle of Trenton 101 

Battle of Princeton 102 

Philadelphia taken by the British. 102 

Burgoyne Captured 104 

Hardships at Valley Forge 106 

Aid from France 107 

Progress of the War 107 

The Treason of Arnold 109 

The War in the South 110 

Greene's Campaign in the South. . . 112 

Siege of Yorktown 113 

The End of the War 115 



Part IV. — Development of the States 

The State of the Country 117 

The First Effort toward Union 118 

Political Parties 119 

The Constitution 119 

Formation of the Government 119 



Washington'.s Administration. 

The First President 120 

The Work of the Administration.. 121 

Foreign Affairs 122 

Political Parties 122 



CONTENTS. 



Part IV. — Continued. 



PAGE 

John Adams' Administration. 

Condition of the Country 124 

The Quairel with France 124 

The Alien and Sedition Laws 125 

Jefferson's Administration. 

The War wdth Tripoli 126 

The Louisiana Piu'chase 127 

The Slave Trade 128 

The Quarrel with England 129 

The Embargo Act 129 

A New State 131 

Introduction of Steam-boats 131 

3Iadison's Administration. 

AVar with England 131 

Opposition to the War 131 

General Hull's Surrender 132 

The War on the Water 133 

Invasion of Canada 134 

Perry's Victory on Lake Erie 134 

Battle of the Thames 135 

The Creek War 135 

Battle of Lake Champlain 136 

Battle of New Orleans 137 

Peace Declared 139 

Punishing the Pirates 139 

Politics 139 

New States 140 

Monroe's Administration. 

The Era of G-ood Peeling 140 

The Missouri Compromise 140 

Florida 141 

New States 141 

Politics 141 

The Tariff Question 142 

John Quincy Adams' Adminis- 
tration. 

Condition of the Country 143 

The Tariff Question 144 



PAGE 

Jackson's Administration. 

Troubles over the Tariff 144 

The Bank Troubles 145 

Indian Wars 147 

New States 147 

The Election 147 

Van Buren's Administration, 

The Panic of 1837 148 

Politics 149 

Harrison and Tyler's Adminis- 
tration. 

Death of Harrison 149 

Tyler's Vetoes 149 

Annexation of Texas 150 

Florida 151 

The Telegraph 151 

Pollc's Administration. 

War with Mexico 151 

Plan of the War 152 

General Taylor's Campaign 154 

General Scott's Campaign 156 

Result of the War 156 

Discovery of Gold in California 157 

Slavery Agitation 159 

New States 160 

Taylor and Fillmore's Adminis- 
tration. 

Compromise of 1850 160 

Politics 161 

Pierce's Administration. 

Kansas-Nebraska Bill 161 

Civil War in Kansas 162 

Politics 162 

Buchanan's Administi-ation. 

Quarrel about Slavery 16.'5 

The Dred Scott Case 163 



CONTENTS. 

Part IV. — Continued. 



XI 



PAGE 

John Brown's Raid 164 

Politics 164 



PAGE 

Secession of Southern States 166 

New States 168 



Part V.— The Civil War. 



Condition of the Country 171 

Bombardment of Fort Sumter 172 

The Effect 172 

First Movement of the Armies 173 

Battle of Bull Run 174 

Effect of Bull Run 175 

Other Events of the Summer 175 

Battle of Ball's Bluff 176 

Plan of the War 176 

War on the Coast 176 

Blockade-Running 177 

Progress of the War 179 

Ports Henry and Donelson Capt- 
ured 179 

Battle of Shiloh 180 

Operations on the Mississippi 181 

War on the Coast 181 

The Monitor and Merrimac 182 

McClellan's Plan 184 

Battle of Williamsburg 184 

Siege of Richmond 185 

Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley 185 

Battle of Fair Oaks 186 

The Seven Days Battle 186 

Lee's Movement to the North 187 

Lee Invades Maryland 187 



Battle of Antietam 188 

Battle of Fredericksburg 188 

War in the West 189 

Battles of luka and Corinth 189 

Battle of Murfreesborough 191 

The Vicksburg Expedition 191 

Emancipation of the Slaves 192 

Battle of Chancellorsville 192 

Battle of Gettysburg 194 

Capture of Vicksburg 195 

Capture of Port Hudson 196 

AVar in the Center 197 

Siege of Chattanooga 197 

Red River Expedition 199 

Plan of Campaign for 1864 199 

Campaign in Virginia 200 

Battle of Cold Harbor 201 

Grant's Plan 202 

Early's Campaign 202 

The Alabama and the Kearsarge.. 202 

The Campaign in the West 203 

Sherman's March to the Sea 204 

The Situation 204 

End of the War 204 

New States 206 

Assassination of Lincoln 206 



Part VI. — Reconstruction and Passing Events. 



Johnson's Administration. 

Reconstruction 211 

Impeachment of the President 212 

Constitutional Amendments 212 



Purchase of Alaska 213 

A New State 213 

The Ocean Telegraph 213 

Politics 214 



Xll 



CONTENTS. 



Part VI. — Continued. 



PAGE 

Grant's Administration, 

The Pacific Railroad 214 

The Treaty of Washington 215 

The Great Eires 215 

Pontics 216 

The Panic of 1873 217 

The Centennial Exhibition 217 

Indian "Wars 217 

The Disputed Election 218 

Hayes' Administration. 

Domestic Affairs 219 



PAGE 

The Railroad Riots 219 

The Yellow Fever Epidemic 219 

Pontics 220 

A New State 220 

Garfield and Arthur's Adminis- 
tration. 

Assassination of President Garfield 221 
Vice - President Arthur becomes 

President 222 

Civil Service Reform 222 

Pontics 224 



^^^fr^ 



^0^.^ 
\ ' i 



ILLUSTRATIONS 



NO. PAGE 

1. Erontispiece— Attack on a Puritan Home 

2. Chapter Heading 11 

3. Scene in Indian Life 12 

4. Northmen Landing in America 13 

5. Chapter Heading 15 

6. Portrait of Columbus 17 

7. Columbus taking Possession of the Country 19 

8. Burial of De Soto 24 

9. Hudson Exploring the Hudson River 28 

10. Portrait of Henry Hudson 29 

11. Chapter Heading ,31 

12. John Smith Trading with the Indians 32 

13. A Method of Indian Burial 36 

14. Ruins of Jamestown 37 

15. A Scene in New Amsterdam 39 

IG. Puritans on the Way to Church 44 

17. Canonicus Receiving the Powder and Bullets from Governor Bradford.. 45 

18. Indian Attack on a Settlement 54 

19. Portrait of William Penn 60 

20. Penn's Treaty Tree 61 

21. Cartier Banding at Montreal 68 

22. A Colonial Pamily Fleeing from the Indians 73 

23. Chapter Heading 85 

24. British Tax Stamps 91 

25. The Retreat of the British from Lexington 95 

26. Going to Boston 96 

27. The Patriots Building Fortifications around Boston 97 

28. Capture of Fort Ticonderoga 99 

29. Battle of Saratoga 103 

30. Battle of Bennington 105 

31. In Camp at Valley Forge 106 



XIV ILLUSTRATIONS. 

NO. PAGE 

32. Benjamin Franklin 107 

.33. Capture of Stony Point 109 

34. Portrait of Marion 110 

35. Marquis de la Payette 113 

3G. Storming a Port at Yorktown 114 

37. Chapter Heading 117 

38. Portraits of Hamilton, "Washington, and Jefferson 121 

39. Pulton's Steam-boat 130 

40. Battle between the Guerriere and Constitution 133 

41. Battle of New Orleans 137 

42. Portrait of Andrew Jackson 145 

43. Portraits of Calhoun, Clay, and Webster 146 

44. Portrait of Zachary Taylor 154 

45. G-eneral Taylor at Buena Vista 155 

46. Washing out Gold 157 

47. San Francisco in 1835, and now 158 

48. Abraham Lincoln 165 

49. Jefferson Davis 167 

50. Chapter Heading 171 

51. Battle of Bull Run 174 

52. Gun-boats Attacking Fort Donelson 180 

53. The Merrimac and the Monitor 183 

54. General Grant on the Battle-field 190 

55. Battle of Missionary Ridge 198 

50. Grant Writing the Order for Sherman's Advance 200 

57. Union and Confederate Heroes 205 

58. Chapter Heading 211 

59. Landing the Atlantic Cable 213 

60. Portrait of President Garfleld 221 

61. Portrait of President Cleveland 224 



LIST OF MAPS. 

1. Map to Illustrate Early Explorations ., . 20 

2. Map of French Explorations along the Mississippi River. , 70 

3. Map to Illustrate the Colonial Wars , 79 

4. Map to Illustrate the War in the South . Ill 

5. Map to Illustrate the War of 1812-1814 132 

6. Map to Illustrate the War with Mexico 153 

7. Map to Illustrate the War in the West 178 

8. Map of McClellan's Campaign in the Peninsula 184 

9. Grant's Campaign around Richmond 201 



I 



i 




Iif92 



rpgMW^OISTdgv 




White peo- 
ple first came 
to this country 
from Europe. 
„_^ Vast forests then covered the land. 
There were no cities, towns, or 
pleasant farms, such as we see 
to-day. The only people they found living here were a 
wild race of men whom they called Indians. 

The Indians. — Perhaps you may have seen some of 
these people. They are of a reddish or copper color, and 
dress in a strange way. They like to wear beads, feathers, 
and other trinkets. In times of war, they paint their 
faces and make themselves look as fierce as possible. 

The huts or tents in which they live are made of 
bark or skins and a.re called wigwams (wig'wairiitz). 
Hunting, fi^shing, and war are the occupations of the 
men. All the hard work is done by the women. 



n 



A PRIMARY H I S T O R r 



No one knows where the Indians came from ; but 
they must have hvecl in this country many hundreds 
of years, as they do not look like any other people in 
the world. Possibly, they first came from Asia. 




SCENE IN INDIAN LIFE. 



All the tribes of Indians found in the country that 
is now the United States, were such as we have de- 
scribed. The Indians of Mexico, and of Central and 
South America, however, were a very different people. 
They had many of the arts of civilization, and lived in 
cities and towns. Their manners and customs were not 
at all like those of the savage races of the North. Nearly 



INTRODUCTION. 



13 



one half the people of Mexico, to-day, are Indians, and 
they probably live in about the same way as their fore- 
fathers did hundreds of years ago. 




NORTHMEN LANDING IN AMERICA 



The Mound Builders. — There must have been still 
another race of people here, before the Indians. This 
is shown by the remains of weapons and tools which are 
quite different from those made by Indians. They were 



14 A PRIMAKY HISTORY. 

probably the builders of those great mounds of earth 
which are found in some of the Western States. 

Pitchers and bowls of burnt clay, and many other 
curious articles, have been found in these mounds. We 
know, therefore, that the Mound Builders must have 
been partly civilized. They were doubtless driven away 
or killed by the Indians Avho afterward took possession 
of the country. 

The Northmen. — The people of Iceland and Norway 
claim that their ships sailed across the Atlantic a 
thousand years ago, and that they planted settlements 
along our coast. None of their settlements could have 
prospered, however, since the people did not remain in 
the country. Even the fact of their coming was for a 
long time forgotten. 

QUESTIONS. 

1. What people were found in this country when white men first came here? 

2. How do Indians dress? How do they live? 

.'J. "WTiat are their houses called? Of what are they made? 

4. Among Indians, who do the work? What do the men do? 

5. Are Indians found anywhere else? Where? 

6. AVhat is said of these Indians? 

7. What other race of people lived here before the Indians? 

8. Were they wild? How do we know they were not? 

9. What have been found in the mounds? 

10. Who were the Northmen? 

11. How long ago are they supposed to have been here? 

13. How do we know that tlie Northmen made no settlements here? 

FOR READING OR RECITATION. 

A Chipperva Legend.— Ijovtel,!.. 

An Indian at tfie Buriai-place of his Fathers.— J^ryaht. 

The Skeleton in JLrwor.—L.ONOFEi.LOW. 



P^i^ 1 





EARliY DISGOVERies 
AI\(0 



'^^=a^^^ 



Europe Four Hundred 
Years Ago. — Four hundred 
years ago, the people of Europe 
did not know that a great conti- 
nent lay on the other side of the 
Atlanti(\ Indeed, they knew very 
little even about that part of the 
world in which they lived, for 
travel was not common in those days. 
A great change, however, was soon to 
take place. 
Printing had been invented and books were being 
made and read. A few daring travelers had found their 
way into distant lands and, returning, told of what they 
had seen. People soon became eager to learn more about 
other parts of the world. 

Marco Polo. — One of those great travelers was Marco 
Polo. He had written a book in which he gave a won- 
derful story of his adventures in Japan, China, and other 
parts of Eastern Asia. All those countries were then 



16 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

spoken of by the people of Europe under the general 
name of India. 

Marco Polo's book caused much talk, for it told too 
of the wondrous riches of the East and made the great 
merchants of Europe wish to go there to trade. But in 
order to trade with India, it was necessary for them to 
make long and dangerous journeys. It is true that 
laces, silks and spices were brought, in small quantities, 
by caravans across the deserts to the Mediterranean Sea, 
and thence by ships to Europe ; but articles obtained in 
this way were very costly. No one had yet thought of 
reaching India by ships. When at sea, sailors could not 
tell how to find their way and, therefore, did not trust 
themselves far from land. 

The Compass and the Astrolabe. — Some years later, 
however, there came into use the mariner's compass, 
which showed in what direction a ship was moving, and 
the astrolabe, an instrument which enabled sailors to 
know where they were. With these two instruments to 
guide them, thej^ were no longer afraid to sail out of sight 
of land. A number of men under a bold leader named 
Diaz (dee'ath) Avent around the most southerly point of 
Africa, and came back to tell of their adventures. 

Columbus' Idea. — At about the same time, a sailor 
named Christopher Columbus (kris'tofer komm'bus) was 
trying to make people believe that the world was round, 
and that to reach India, all they need do was to sail west- 
ward, instead of making a long journey eastward by 
land. Columbus had no idea of the real size of the 



EAIILY DISCOVEKIES ANL> SETTLEMENTS. 



17 



world, and thought it much sinaher than it is. He felt 
quite sure that by following his plan, he could reach 
India in less than one half the time required in going 
the old way. 

Columbus in Search of Help. — Anxious as people were 
to get to India, they could not believe that Columbus 
was right ; and so, after 
talking about his plans 
for some years, they 
came to consider him as 
a half-crazy fellow who 
Avas not to be trusted. 

He tried to get ships 
and men from Ferdi- 
nand, King of Spain, 
but failed. He then 
made up his mind to go 
to England or France. 
But as he was about to 
depart, he was per- 

■^ ' ^ COLUMBUS. 

suaded to lay his plans 

before the Spanish queen, Isabella. The queen believed 
what Columbus told her about the shape of the world 
and the short way to India. She said he should have 
both ships and men, even if she had to give up her 
jewels to get them. 

The Voyag'e. — With so good a friend to aid him, 
Columbus found himself, a few months afterward, in 
command of a fleet of three small ships. He joyfully 




io A PKIMAKY HISTORY. 

set out over an unknoNvii ocean, led on by the hope of 
finding a shorter way to India. 

A voyage across the ocean, even when made in the 
ships of the present time, is not altogether free from 
danger. We may easily imagine, then, how frightened 
those sailors must have been who went with Columbus. 
Their minds were full of the foolish stories, common at 
that time, of " the lands of fire and boiling seas lying 
near the setting sun". Every day, they thought, was 
only bringing them nearer certain death. 

The ships of the time were not much larger than 
the small sloops now used on our rivers, and in a storm, 
were hard to manage. Only a very brave man would 
have ventured on a long voyage in one of them. 

After three weeks, Columbus reached the Canary Isles, 
where he took on jDoard fresh supplies of food and water, 
and repaired one of his ships that had lost a rudder. 

The Discovery. — After leaving the islands, he sailed 
westward for many days without seeing any signs of 
land, till the terror of the sailors became so great, that 
they begged him to return home. They even planned to 
throw him overboard, when he would not go back. In 
spite of all dangers, however, the brave leader kept on ; 
and, at last, on the 12th of October, 1492, landed on an 
island that he named San Salvador (san sal vador'). 

Now that land had really been found, the sailors 
were glad they had come Avith Columbus. Those who 
had behaved badly on the voyage begged his pardon, 
whicli he now, in the hour of success, freely granted. 



EARLY DISCOVERIES AND SETTLEMENTS 



19 



Columbus, supposing that the island on which he 
landed was a part of India, called the people whom he 
found there Indians. They were much frightened when 
they saw the ships, which they supposed to be great 
birds, and for some time, hardly dared approach the 
white men who had come upon their shores. The kindly 
manner of Columbus gave them courage, and they then 




C!OLUMBUS TAKING POSSESSION OF THE COUNTRY. 

welcomed the strangers and brought supplies of fruit 
and other kinds of food. 

Columbus and his men set up a great cross on the 
shore, and, after giving thanks to God for their safe 
voyage, took possession of the country in the name of 



20 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

the Spanish king and queen, Ferdinand and Isa- 
bella. 

Leaving San Salvador, Columbus again sailed west- 
ward, hoping to reach the main-land. Instead of this, he 
discovered a number of other islands, among which were 
Cuba and Hayti (ha'ti). Ever3^-where Columbus inquired 
for gold and precious stones, but could not find them. 

Columbus Returns to Spain. — At length, he set out 
to return to Spain, taking with him some Indians and 
many kinds of fruit, birds, and animals, to shoAV to the 
people at home. He reached Spain in safety after a 
stormy and dangerous voyage, and was received with 
great honor by the king and queen. They listened with 
joy to his account of the wonderful country across the 
ocean. The day of his arrival was made a general 
holiday, and those who had formerly been his enemies 
now seemed the most anxious to become his friends. 

Later Voyages of Columbus. — Columbus soon sailed 
westward again in the hope of finding other lands. He 
made four voyages in all. During one of them (1408), 
he reached the main-land, near the O ri no'co Eiver. It 
was not known, however, until some years later, that 
a new continent had been discovered. Columbus him- 
self died, believing that he had only found a short way 
to India. 

Columbus was treated very badly during the last few 
years of his life. His enemies became jealous of his 
success and tried to rob him of the honors he had 
gained. Once he was sent home in chains ; and he finally 



EARLY DiSCOVP:RIES AND SETTLEMENTS. 21 

(lied (1506) of a disease brought on by his many troubles 
and sufferings. 

The Voyages of the Cabots. — Now that some one 
had shown the way, others were anxious to explore 
the w^onderful land across the ocean. A year before 
Columbus saw the main-land, it had been discovered 
(149 7) by two bold sailors, John and Sebastian Cabot 
(se bas'tian cab'ot), who sailed under the flag of En- 
gland. The object of their voyage also was, by sailing 
to the north-west, to find a short way to India. 

After landing on the coast of Labrador, the Cabots 
sailed southward as far as Newfoundland. On returning 
to England, they carried with them two Indians and 
some turkeys. 

During the next year (1498), Sebastian Cabot explored 
the same coast, from Newfoundland southward as far as 
North Carolina. By reason of these two voyages, En- 
gland afterward claimed as her own, not only all the 
coast, along which the Cabots had sailed, but also all the 
land back of it even to the Pacific Ocean. 

Amerigo Vespucci (a ma ree'go ves poot'chee). — How a 
Printer named this Continent. — No name had yet been 
given to the new land which had been discovered ; for 
it was still supposed to be a part of India. A year later 
(1499), a man named Amerigo Vespucci, a friend of 
Columbus, visited the main-land, and wrote an account 
of the country. Some years afterward this account was 
published in Oermany, and the printer, in giving the 
title to the book, called the new country America. This 



22 A PEIMARY HISTORY. 

book received much attention from learned men in all 
the countries of Europe, and the name America soon 
came into general use. 

Ponce de Leon (pon'tha da la on'). — Yoyages to the 
New World soon became frequent. Men of other 
nations, besides Spain and England, set out to find 
wealth in a land supposed to be as rich as India itself. 
Once in a while, too, some one went for a different pur- 
pose, as was the case with Ponce de Leon. He had been 
with Columbus on one of his voyages, and had heard 
about a magical fountain supposed to be somewhere in 
America ; so now in his old age, he resolved to find it. 
It was said that whoever bathed in the water of this 
fountain, became young again. 

Ponce de Leon did not, of course, find the fountain ; 
but he discovered (1512) a new country which he called 
Florida. On account of his discovery, Spain afterward 
claimed the southern part of the United States and all 
the country west of the Mississippi River. 

Balboa (bai bo' a), another Spaniard, crossed the isth- 
mus between North and South America (1513), and was 
the first white man to look upon the Pacific Ocean. 

The Spaniards visited and conquered Mexico (1519), 
and afterward explored Central America and parts of 
South America. The result of all this enterprise on the 
part of Spain, was to make her the richest and most 
powerful nation of Europe. 

Verrazani (ver a za' nee). — AYhen the French king 
found that Spain and England were adding so much 



EAKLY DISCOVERIES AND SETTLEMENTS. 23 

new country to their possessions, he thought that France 
also ought to have a share. He therefore sent (1524) 
a sailor, named Verrazani, to claim some part of America. 

Verra.zani sailed along the coast from North Carolina 
northward to Newfoundland, entering during the voyage 
the harbor of New York. This was exactly the same 
country the Cabots had discovered for England ; but 
Verrazani did not know it. He therefore took possession 
in the name of the French king and called the region 
New France. 

De Narvaez (da narva'eth). Some 3^ears after these 
events, a party of Spaniards, under a leader named De 
Narvaez, landed in Florida (152 8), and tried to conquer 
the country. Only four of these men lived to return. 

Jacques Cartier (zhak car te a') was the next explorer 
after Verrazani, sent by France to America. After 
reaching Newfoundland (153-1), he sailed up the St. Law- 
rence River to Avhere Montreal now stands. All the 
country he saw he claimed for France, although the En- 
glish already claimed it on account of its discovery by 
the Cabots. 

The dispute between England and France about this 
land was settled, as we shall see, long years afterward, 
by bloody wars. 

Ferdinand De Soto (da so' to). — In spite of the fate of 
De Narvaez and his men, the Spaniards again sought to 
take possession of Florida. Ferdinand de Soto, with a 
small army, passed through the country and had many 
battles with the Indians. 



24 



A PllIMARY HISTORY 



He traveled (153 9) over the region now covered by 
the States of Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. He 
found the Indians partly civilized, and hoped by going 
farther, to discover a nation as rich as the one in Mexico. 
Like all the Spaniards, he, too, was looking for gold, 
silver, and precious stones, but did not find them. 




BURIAL OF DE SOTO Al 



The Mississippi River. — After wandering about for 
two or three years in a useless search for gold, he finally 
discovered the Mississippi River. A few weeks later he 
died, and was buried at midnight beneath the waters of 
that mighty stream. 

His company, discouraged by the loss of their bold 



EARLY DISCOVERIES AND SETTLEMENTS. 25 

leader, now tried to find their way to their countrymen 
in Mexico. They met with many dangers on the way, 
and suffered much from hunger and sickness. Scarcely 
one half of them lived to get to the Spanish settlements. 
The attempt to conquer Florida had again failed, and 
there were no Spaniards left in that part of the country. 

Fifty years after the discovery of America, no perma- 
nent settlement had been made within the present limits 
of the United States. The people who had come here 
were in search either of gold or adventure, and had no 
desire to remain. Many others, however, were only wait- 
ing to learn more about the country, before leaving 
Europe to make for themselves happier homes in the 
New World. 

The First Colony in America was attempted by some 
French Protestants, called Huguenots (hu'gen oz). A com- 
pany of them, under Jean Ribaut (zhon re bo'), landed 
(1562) on the coast of South Carolina, and built a fort, 
called Port Royal. This attempt at settlement proved a 
failure, and those of the colonists who survived returned 
to France. The French planted another colony, two years 
later, on the St. John's River, in Florida. 

Menendez (ma nen' deth), with a company of Span- 
iards, in the following year (1565), settled at St. Augus- 
tine (aw'gus teen'). He attacked and destroyed the 
French colony on the St. John's River. 

St. Augustine is the oldest town in our country. 
Many people go there every year to see the queer old 
ruins and the fort the Spaniards built so long ago. 



26 A PKIMARY HISTORY. 

Santa Fe (san'ta fa), the second permanent settlement 
in our countr}^, was founded (1582) by the Spaniards. 

During all this time, the English had not taken pos- 
session of the country discovered by the Cabots. Too 
man}^ stirring events had been occurring at home to 
permit them to devote much attention to the planting 
of colonies. But they had not given up the dream of a 
shorter way to India. 

Frobisher (frob'isher) in trying to find a passage to 
India, sailed (1576) into Baffin Bay and took possession 
of the country for England. lie made two attempts to 
plant colonies in Labrador, but failed because the cli- 
mate was too cold for farming. 

Sir Francis Drake was the first Englishman to sail 
(1579) around the world. He explored the coast of 
Oregon and California, and passed a winter near the spot 
where San Francisco now stands. 

The English now began to think of making settle- 
ments in America. 

Sir Humphrey Gilbert tried to plant a colony in New- 
foundland, but did not succeed, and, in returning to En- 
gland, was lost at sea. 

Sir Walter Raleigh (ra^A^'ii), a half-brother of Gilbert, 
was greatly/liked by the English queen, Elizabeth. She 
gave him a grant of a large tract of country, in the New 
World, which, in her honor, was called Virginia. 

Raleigh then sent out a colony, which settled on Roa- 
noke Island (1583). Instead of working, the colonists 
spent their time looking for gold and pearls. They soon 



EARLY DISCOVERIES AND SETTLEMENTS. 27 

wasted their supply of food, and would have starved had 
not Sir Francis Drake happened to pass that way with 
his ships. He took them back to England, and thus 
this colony also failed. 

Three or four years later, Raleigh made another at- 
tempt to plant a colony in Virginia. This proved even 
a worse failure than the former one. Raleigh had now 
spent a fortune in these attempts at colonization, with 
no result except that the men first sent out took pota- 
toes and tobacco back to England and taught people 
there how to use them. 

One Hundred Years after the Discovery of America, 
there were but two towns in the country, and they 
were Spanish. England had not yet made a permanent 
settlement. 

The Beginning of a New Century brought a change. 
The English were now in earnest, and their ships made 
frequent voyages to America for the purpose of trading 
with the Indians. 

The French had already begun to fish on the banks 
of Newfoundland, and they, as well as the English, were 
anxious to secure permanent colonies. 

Virginia was the name given by the English to all the 
country from Nova Scotia to Florida. \ 

King James of England gave this land to two compa- 
nies, on their promise to send people to settle there. 

A part of southern Virginia was given to the London 
Company, and a part of northern Virginia to the Plyin- 
outh Company. 



28 



A PRIMAEY HISTORY. 



The First English Settlement was made by the Lon- 
don Company (1607) at Jamestown, on the James River, 
in South Virginia. This was the first permanent English 
settlement in the New World. 




HUDSON EXPL,OK1JNO THE HL■Df^ON RIVEK. 



A second English settlement was made (1620) hy 
the Pilgrims (or Puritans) at Plymouth, in North Vir- 
ginia. 

Henry Hudson, an English sailor, was sent out by the 
Dutch (1609), to secure some part of America for them. 
Sailing along the coast from Delaware Bay northward, 
he entered the harbor of New York, and discovered the 



EAllLY DISCOVERIES AND SETTLEMENTS, 



29 



noble river which bears his name. Afterward he cruised 
along the coast of Connecticut. The Dutch made a set- 
tlement at New Amsterdam (1613), and claiming all the 
region explored by Hudson, called it New Netherland. 

You will learn more of these colonies hereafter. Before 
going on with their story, let us take a look at the 
map (page OO)) ^^^ see just 
Avhere the first settlements we^^*^ 
planted. 

The Spanish towns were at 
St. Augustine, Florida, and at 
Santa Fe, New Mexico. 

The English settlements were 
at Jamestown, Virginia, and at 
Plymouth, Massachusetts. 

New Amsterdam, a Dutch set- 
tlement, was made on the island 
where the city of Nev/ York now 
stands. 

These are all we can find on 
the map, showing the country as it was a hundred and 
twenty-eight years after Columbus discovered America. 
Our great country, — extending over the continent, in one 
direction, from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, and in 
another from the St. Lawrence River to the Gulf of 
Mexico, — with its fifty-five million of people, has grown 
from these five little colonies, which, at first, could 
scarcely raise food enough to keep their people from 
starving. 




HENRY HUDSON. 



30 A PRIMARY HISTORY 



QUESTIONS. 

1. ^Vho was Marco Polo ? Give an account of his travels. Of his book. 
3. In what way did the compass and astrolabe prove useful to sailors? 

3. Who first thought of sailing westward to reach India? Tell about Columbus' 

theory and the difficulties he met with in trying to get ships. 

4. Give an account of Columbus' first voyage and discovery of America. 

5. How many voyages did Columbiis make ? ^Vhen and under what circum- 

stances did he die ? 

6. "When did the Cabots make their voyages ? '\^niat did they discover ? AYliat 

nation was benefited by their labors? 

7. After what discoverer was this continent named? Who named it? 

8. Who went in search of a wonderful fountain, and discovered Florida ? "VNTiat 

nation based its claim to a part of North America on that discovery? 

9. Who discovered the Pacific Ocean? 

10. What voyages to America were made under the authority of the King of 

Prance? Why were the claims of Prance to territory unjust? 

11. "\^^lo was De IsTarvaez ? What did he do ? Give an account of De Soto's expe- 

dition. 

12. "S^Hiat object had the early explorers in view, in coming to the New AVorld ? 

13. What nation first attempted to make settlements In Aixierica? What was the 

result of those attempts? 

14. Who was Menendez, and where did he plant a colony? What was the name 

of the town he founded ? 

15. Name the two oldest towns within the present limits of our country. 

16. Give some account of the English explorers— Porbisher, Drake, Gilbert. 

17. Who was Raleigh? What attempts did he make to found colonies? A\Tiat 

was the only result of his efforts? 

18. What were the limits of A^irginia? AVhat companies received permission to 

settle the country? 

19. WTiere was the first permanent English settlement made ?— the second ? 

20. Who was Henry Hudson, and what did he do? 

21. Name the different settlements within the present limits of the United States, 

one hundred and twenty-eight years after the discovery by Columbus. 



FOR READING OR RECITATION. 



Columbus. — Ijowell. 

iVore»i6e(70.— Whittier. 

Sir Humphrey ^276e;Y.— Longfellow. 



j/ /¥ H.T 



FROM 1607 
TO 1775 




eVelo pm r NT' '- r T- HI 




FIRST Set- 
tlements. — The first 
settlements in this country 
were at long distances from 
each other, and the country 
between them was a wilder- 
ness. The people in one col- 
ony, therefore, knew very little 
about what was going on in the others. 

Each colony had its own history, its own ideas, and its 
own way of managing its affairs. Until we come to the 
time when all the colonies began to act together, we 
must tell about them separately. 



VIRGINIA. 

Character of the Colonists.--The first settlers at James- 
town were not the kind of men likely to get along in a 
new country. They were gentlemen who had lost their 



32 



A PRIMAEY HISTORY. 



fortunes, and had come to America thinking that here 
they could gain riches without labor. Strange stories 
must have been told by the agents of the London Com- 
pany to induce such people to cross the ocean. 




SMITH TRADINd WITH THI] IXDIANS. 



Few of the colonists had ever done any hard work, 
and most of them were unwilling to learn. If there 
had not been one man of wisdom and energy among 
these helpless people, they would soon have starved to 
death. 

Captain John Smith had been a great traveler, and 
had learned how to get along with all sorts of people. In 
their distress, the colonists turned to him as their leader, 



THE COLONIES. 33 

and his way of managing soon showed that he was the 
right man for the position. 

Smith traded with the Indians and obtained a supply 
of food. He then forced the settlers to build themselves 
houses, to erect a fort, and to plant corn. He marked 
out for each man his daily labor, and saw that it was 
performed. The secret of his being able to do all this 
was, that he would give no food to any one who would 
not work. 

Every thing went on well while Smith remained at 
Jamestown. He was, however, fond of wandering about 
in the new country, and when he was away the colonists 
would spend their time in idleness, and neglect matters 
generally. 

On one occasion, Smith was captured by the Indians. 
He was taken before the great Indian king Powhatan 
(povs^ ha tan') 7 and condemned to die. Just as the death- 
blow was about to fall, Powhatan's daughter, Pocahontas 
(po ka hon'tas), rushed forward and begged that his life 
might be spared. Smith was released and sent back 
with an escort to Jamestown. 

Pocahontas became the friend of the whites, and after- 
ward married a young Englishman named John Rolfe. 

Smith explored the coast, and made maps of the 
country which were of great service in explaining to the 
people of England about the new world. 

The Starving Time. — Some two years after the settle- 
ment of Jamestown (1609), Smith was badly wounded 
by an explosion of gunpowder and returned to England. 



34 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

His departure was unfortunate for the new settlement ; 
for the colonists, left to themselves, gave up work alto- 
gether, and during the following winter about four hun- 
dred of them died of starvation. 

In the spring, the sixty who were left alive embarked 
for England, but as they were about to sail. Lord 
Delaware arrived with several ship-loads of new colonists 
and plenty of food. They turned back with their friends, 
and so the colony was saved. 

After that, the settlers learned to be more industrious, 
and were no longer threatened with starvation. The 
land was now divided up among them, and each settler 
was given a farm of his own, and he did the best he 
could to raise good crops. This proved to be much better 
than the old way of working together and sharing every 
thing in common. 

Besides food, the colonists raised large crops of tobacco. 
The people of Europe had adopted the Indian custom of 
smoking, and were willing to pay a large price for all 
the tobacco the colonists could send them. There was at 
that time very little money in the colony, and the value 
of all services and of all kinds of goods was reckoned in 
pounds of tobacco. 

When the London Company first sent out a number 
of young women as wives for the colonists, they charged 
one hundred pounds of tobacco as passage -money for 
each ; but the colonists were so anxious to get wives, 
that they gladly offered as much as one hundred and 
fifty pounds. As soon as the colonists had wives, they 



THE COLONIES. 35 

became happy and contented and gave up all thought 
of leaving America. 

Slavery. — Some years afterward (1619), a Dutch s'hip 
landed twenty negroes at Jamestown, and these were 
sold as slaves to the colonists. This was the beginning 
of negro slavery in America. The labor of the negroes 
was found very profitable, and large numbers were brought 
into the country. 

When Sir G-eorge Yeardley (yeerdMy) became governor, 
he granted the colonists (1619) the right to choose some 
of their own number to help him make laws. The body 
of law-makers thus chosen was the first of the kind in 
America. It was called the House of Burgesses. 

Growth of the Colony. — Under good laws the colony 
so prospered, that fifteen years after the first settlement 
at Jamestown, there were (1622) four thousand white 
people in Virginia, and plantations extended along both 
sides of the James River for more than one hundred 
and fifty miles. 

The Indian War. — The Indians being now afraid that 
they would lose their lands if the colonists kept coming, 
decided to kill all the white people in the colony. So 
they planned and made (1622) a furious attack upon the 
scattered settlements, and in one day killed more than 
three hundred men, women, and children. 

A terrible war followed, in which the savages were 
severely punished. After that, there was peace for more 
than twenty years. But the Indians were still jealous of 
the growing power of the whites, and were not willing to 



86 A PEIMARY HISTORY. 

give up their lands. Another war took place (1644), 
and many settlers were killed ; but the result was dis- 
astrous to the Indian tribes, and they were driven far 
back into the wilderness. 




A METHOD OF INDIAN BURIAL. 



Oppression of the Colony. — If England had allowed 
the Virginia colonists to manage their own affairs and to 
go on in their own way, all would have been well. But 
the people of the mother country were too anxious to 
make money, and seemed to think that the colonies had 
no rights whatever. As a result of this selfish policy, 
many unwise laws had been made which the colonists 



THE COLONIES. 



t1 



did not like. Some of these laws interfered with their 
personal freedom, while others almost destroyed their 
trade. All this caused much distress and hard feeling 
on the part of the colonists. The king finally rid himself 
of all trouble by giving the whole colony to Lords Cul- 
pepper and Arlington for a period of thirty-one years. 

Bacon's Rebellion. — A 
governor named Berkeley 
(berk'li) was sent out to 
Virginia, who by his tyr- 
anny and dishonesty nearly 
ruined the colony. Once 
the Indians threatened the 
colony, when Berkeley, who 
had a profitable trade of 
his own with them, and 
feared to lose it, refused to 
send a force against them ; 
nor would he permit the |^ 
colonists to defend them- 
selves. 

The people then took 
matters into their own hands, and under a young leader 
named Nathaniel Bacon, drove away the hostile Indians. 
Bacon and his followers were declared traitors by Berkeley, 
and a civil war followed. During these troubles, James- 
town was burned. 

Bacon had almost succeeded in gaining control, when 
he suddenly died. Berkeley, as soon as he got back into 




RUINS OF JAMESTOWN. 



38 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

power again, revenged himself by hanging more than 
twenty of the leading men who had opposed him. 

This last wicked act was too much even for the king. 
He at once recalled Berkeley and took control of the 
colony himself. For the next hundred years, it was ruled 
by royal governors, and in spite of many difficulties, con- 
tinued to grow and prosper. 

NEW YORK. 

The Dutch in New Netherland. — ^^Only a few years 
after the settlement of Jamestown, some Dutch traders 
landed (1613) where New York City now stands, and 
after building a fort and a few small houses, began to 
buy furs from the Indians. This settlement was called 
New Amsterdam. 

In a short time, a company of traders, pushing out 
in various directions from New Amsterdam, had built 
forts and established trading stations on the Hudson, 
Connecticut, and Delaware rivers. The Dutch laid claim 
to all this region, and gave to it the name of New 
Netherland. 

The Dutch West India Company a few years later 
secured a charter for all this territory, and at once began 
to colonize it. Large numbers of colonists were sent out 
from Holland, and settled near Albany, and at several 
points on Long Island. A governor, named Peter Minuit, 
afterward came over (1626) to govern the colony, and 
purchased the whole island of Manhattan from the In- 
dians for trinkets valued at about twenty-four dollars. 



THE COLONIES. 



39 



:—- ^T^ ^#-,^, 




M I 111 M Ml \ 111! 1 ^\\ \ \\\ W I llMllilllllll I nil 

THE ENGLISH LANDING AT NEW AMSTEEDAM. 



40 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

The settlers worked hard, Hved simply, and for a time 
prospered. New neighbors, however, soon caused them 
trouble, and obliged them to defend their rights in the 
new world. 

The Dutch Governors. — Under its four Dutch gov- 
ernors, the colony rapidly increased in numbers and in 
wealth. The last and best of these governors was Peter 
Stuyvesant (sti've sant). Under his rule, peace was made 
Avith the Indians, the English colonies at the east be- 
came friendly, and the Swedish settlers on the Delaware 
were brought under Dutch sway. 

Although Stuyvesant had arranged the boundaries of 
jSTew Netherland with his English neighbors, the English 
king, Charles II., spoiled all the good governor's plans, by 
giving the territory to his brother, the Duke of York. 

New Amsterdam becomes New York (1664). — Only 
a few months afterward, an English fleet entered the 
harbor of New Amsterdam and took possession. Stuy- 
vesant tried to rouse the Dutch settlers to resistance. 
His people, however, had become tired of him and of 
Dutch laws, and were quite ready for a change. He was 
compelled, therefore, to surrender, and so New Amsterdam 
became New York. During the same year, all the other 
Dutch possessions in the new world were given up to 
the English. 

English Rule. — The reason why the Dutch colonists 
were so willing to submit to the English, was that they 
had heard a great deal about English freedom. They 
soon found out their mistake, however, and regretted 



THE COLONIES. 41 

that they had not obeyed their old governor and driven 
the ships away. 

Heavy taxes were imposed on the colonists, but they 
were not permitted to take any part in making their own 
laws. In a war between England and Holland, some 
years later (1673), a Dutch fleet captured New York, 
and restored the old laws and the old name of New Am- 
sterdam ; but when the war was over, the colony was 
again surrendered to the English. 

Leisler's (lis'lerz) Rebellion. — Many disputes arose be- 
tween the Dutch people and their English governors. 
On one occasion the governor was driven away, and a 
man named Leisler was chosen ruler. The English soon 
sent out a new governor named Sloughter (slaw' ter), who 
caused Leisler to be tried for treason and hanged. 

Oppression of the Colony. — The severe treatment 
which the colonists received at the hands of their gov- 
ernors aroused in them a desire for liberty, and only an 
opportunity was needed to lead them to get rid of their 
unjust rulers altogether. 

MASSACHUSETTS. 

We must now go back again to the early part of the 
century in which the settlement at Jamestown was made, 
and tell about some of the other events that took place 
in the new world. 

You remember that two companies, the London Com- 
pany and the Plymouth Company, were given land by 



42 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

the King of England. While the London Company was 
striving to plant a colony in southern Virginia, the other 
Company was inclined to wait and see whether such an 
attempt Avould prove successful. 

The Plymouth Company. — Captain Smith had re- 
turned to England with his maps and given a good 
account of the part of the country belonging to the 
Plymouth Company, which he called New England. That 
Company then decided to send out colonists as soon as 
possible. The king gave it a new charter, and the right 
to make laws for all the colonies that might thereafter 
be planted in New England. 

The Pilgrims, — But before the Plymouth Company 
was ready to send out colonists, a band of Puritans 
sailed in the Mayflower for the coast of New England. 
These Puritans, or Pilgrims as they are sometimes called, 
were people who had been harshly treated in England 
because of their religious views, which differed from those 
of the king and the people in power. Their idea in coming 
to the new world was to find a place where they could 
worship God in their own way, Avithout being obliged to 
observe the forms of the English Church. 

The departure of the Mayflower was watched with 
great interest by the friends of the daring little band 
who so boldly sought for religious liberty ; and many 
families of Puritans made ready to go to the new country, 
should the success of those going first make it prudent. 

The Landing of the Pilgrims (1620). — After a long 
voyage, the Mayflower reached the coast of New England 



THE COLONIES. 43 

in midwinter, and the Pilgrims landed upon a shore cov- 
ered with snow. Plymouth was the name given to the 
first settlement of these brave colonists. 

Although the winter proved a mild one, the hardships 
of the settlers were very great. Before spring, the little 
band of one hundred and two had been reduced by cold, 
famine, and disease to less than sixty. Still the colony 
struggled on. 

The Indians were friendly, and their king, Massasoit 
(mas' sa soit), made a treaty of friendship with the 
settlers which remained unbroken as long as he lived. 
From him they learned the art of raising Indian corn. 
Had it not been for the friendship thus shown them, 
all the colonists would have perished. 

Instead of wasting time in looking for gold, the Pil- 
grims built houses, planted corn, and tried to make good 
homes for themselves and their children. They lived in a 
quiet, orderly, and religious way. They made their own 
laws, chose their OAvn governors, and from the first were 
a free people. 

In spite of their hard work and careful living, how- 
ever, the colonists at Plymouth suffered great hardships. 
The climate was severe, and the amount of corn raised 
the first year was not enough to keep them from actual 
hunger. Luckily the fishing was good, and clams were 
plentiful, so they had something to eat. 

After sharing every thing with one another for a time, 
as the Virginians had done, they divided up their land, 
and each man then worked for his own family. This 



A PRIMARY HISTORY. 




PURITANS ON THE WAY TO CHURCH. 



THE COLONIES. 



45 



was found to be a far better plan, and the colony hence- 
forth grew slowly but steadily in prosperity. 

The year after the settlement was made, the Nar- 
ragansett (nar ra gan ' set) Indians sent Governor Brad- 
ford a bundle of arrows tied together with a snake-skin, 
as a threat that they would make war upon the strangers. 




CANONIC us BECEIVING THE POWDER AND BULLETS FROM GOVERNOR BRADFORD. 



Governor Bradford sent back the snake-skin filled with 
powder and bullets, and Canonicus (kanon'i kus), chief of 
the Narragansetts, finding that the white people were 
ready for him, decided to remain at peace. 

Massachusetts Bay Colony (162 9).— Nine years after 
the settlement at Plymouth, five ship-loads of colonists 



46 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

were brought out by John Endicott and landed at Sa- 
lem and Charlestown. The king had given to Endicott 
and five others the power to make laws. But these 
men wisely thought that the people ought to govern 
themselves, and so from the first, the colony was per- 
mitted to manage its own affairs. 

During the next year (1630), a thousand more people 
came over with John Winthrop, and Dorchester, Boston, 
and other places on Massachusetts Bay were founded. 

All of these later settlements were soon afterward 
united under the name of the Massachusetts Bay 
Colony. 

King Philip's War. — For many years colonists had 
been coming over in great numbers, and as white settle- 
ments were extended back into the country, the Indians 
were driven farther and farther into the wilderness. On 
the death of Massasoit, his son Philip, a man of great 
wisdom and courage, became king of his tribe. King 
Philip had long thought over the wrongs of his people. 
He feared, if settlers kept coming, that his tribe would 
in the end be destroyed. He therefore determined to 
make war upon the settlements. 

Atrocities of the Indians. — King Philip won over the 
Narragansetts and some smaller tribes to join him in his 
purpose. The war was then begun with savage fury. 
Settlers were every-where attacked, their houses burned, 
their cattle killed, and their crops destroyed. Sometimes 
the savages, watching their opportunity, would swoop 
down upon a settlement, in the absence of the men, and 



THE COLONIES. 47 

cruelly butcher the women and children. To protect 
themselves, men carried arms wherever they went. 
Women and children had to be guarded on the way to 
church, and during the service armed sentries were 
posted outside of the church that the people inside might 
not be surprised and massacred. The Indians, by their 
atrocities, struck terror through all New England. At 
last the white people made up their minds that they 
must destroy the Indians, or be destroyed themselves. 

The Indian Power Broken. — During the winter, a 
large body of men was organized, and the Indians were 
followed to their hiding-place in a swamp, where, after a 
desperate battle, not less than a thousand of them were 
slain. After this the Indians were too weak to fight 
much, but parties of them prowled around villages and 
farms throughout New England, murdering whole fam- 
ilies whenever they found them off their guard. The 
white people now hunted their savage foes like wild ani- 
mals. Philip and some of his followers were for months 
chased from place to place. Finally, he fled to Mount 
Hope, in Rhode Island, where, in an attack, he was killed 
by one of his own tribe, who was friendly to the whites. 

Effect of the War.— The death of Philip brought the 
conflict to an end, but the devastation caused by it was 
wide-spread, and its effects were felt by the colonists 
long years afterward. 

Character of the Colonists. — The people of Massachu- 
setts Bay Colony were mostly Puritans, and believed in 
the union of civil and church government. They had 



48 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

come to America to enjoy religious freedom, but they 
did not wish to have people of different religious views 
come to live with them. To protect themselves in their 
religion, they drove Quakers and others not believing as 
they did, from the colony, and allowed no one to vote 
who was not a member of their Church. 

Though narrow-minded in this respect, still they were 
a noble people. They were stern in manner, strict in 
morals, and frugal and temperate in their habits. Their 
love of education was second only to their love of re- 
ligion. Schools were early established in every settle- 
ment, and only eighteen years after the first landing 
on the bleak shore at Plymouth, the great college of 
Harvard had been founded. 

Union of Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay Colonies. 
— A union of the colonies of Plymouth and Massachusetts 
Bay was furmed in 1692, under the name of Massa- 
chusetts. 

NEW JERSEY. 

When King Charles II. gave New Netherland to his 
brother, the Duke of York, that territory included what 
is now known as the State of New Jersey. The Duke, 
in turn, made a grant of New Jersey to two English 
noblemen — Lords Berkeley and Carteret. 

A few trading posts had already been established by 
the Dutch ; but the new owners brought to the colony 
a number of settlers from New York and from Massa- 
chusetts Bay, and an English settlement was made at 



THE COLONIES. 49 

Elizabethtown (1664). Sir Philip Carteret, a brother of 
Lord Carteret, was appointed governor. 

The colony grew rapidly, and in a few years flourish- 
ing settlements had sprung up at Newark, Middletown, 
Freehold, and Shrewsbury. 

Troubles with New York. — From the first, a spirit of 
opposition was shown by the royal governor of New 
York, who thought that a large share of the revenue of 
his province would be drawn away by the new colony. 
He made many efforts to bring it under his control, but 
each time was stoutly resisted by Lord Carteret. This, 
with a bitter political quarrel which became wide-spread 
among the people, created a feeling of unrest, and for a 
long time checked the prosperity of the colony. 

Division of New Jersey. — A dispute arising between 
the owners, the territory of New Jersey was divided 
(1677) into two parts by a line running north and 
south. These two parts were named East Jersey and 
West Jersey. The former went to Lord Carteret and 
the latter to Lord Berkeley. 

Both afterward came into the possession of a com- 
pany of Quakers, who established a settlement for their 
people at Burlington, on the Delaware. 

Dissatisfaction of the Colonists. — The people suffered 
much on account of the many changes in their govern- 
ment. They became somewhat better off, however, when 
the queen reunited both East and West Jersey (1702) 
and gave the control to the governor of New York ; 
yet they were not altogether satisfied. 



50 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

After ten years' delay over a petition for a separate 
governor, the wish of the people was granted (1738). 
From that time forward, there were no further troubles 
for the colony. 

MARYLAND. 

Lord Baltimore. — A settlement in the present State 
of Maryland was made at St. Mary's (1634) by English 
Catholics, under the leadership of Lord Baltimore. The 
Catholics were treated as severely in England at that 
time as were the Puritans, and for that reason many of 
them sought a refuge in America. 

Religious Freedom. — The people from the outset were 
given the right to make their own laws, and remem- 
bering the cause of their troubles in England, they 
passed (1649) an act giving full civil and religious free- 
dom to every one coming to the colony. This was very 
different from the course adopted by the Puritans in 
Massachusetts. 

Clayborne's Rebellion. — Early in the history of the 
colony, certain people in Virginia laid claim to a portion 
of Maryland. To enforce this claim war was begun by 
a body of Virginians, under a leader named Clayborne ; 
but he and his followers were routed in the first contest. 
Ten years afterward, Clayborne returned at the head of 
a larger force, drove out the governor, and held control 
of the colony for a brief period. Much confusion fol- 
lowed, but Clayborne was finally overthrown and obliged 
to flee for his life. 



THE COLONIES. 51 

Civil Troubles. — Many Protestants came into the col- 
ony, but they did not hke the Catholics any the better 
on account of their fair laws. As soon as they were 
in the majority, they took control of the government, 
and passed laws forbidding Catholics to vote. 

Civil War. — A civil war followed (1691), and finally 
the King of England took away the rights of the Balti- 
mores and made the colony a royal province. These 
rights were restored (1715) after more than twenty 
years, and religious freedom was once more allowed 
to all. 

RHODE ISLAND. 

Roger Williams. — You will remember that no one was 
permitted to remain in the settlements on Massachusetts 
Bay whose religious opinions did not agree with those 
of the Puritans. One of the men driven away from 
the colony was Roger Williams, a young Salem min- 
ister. He Avas an outcast in the wilderness, in the 
depths of winter, until Massasoit, the Indian friend of 
the white people, received him and gave him shelter. 
In the following spring, he made his way to Rhode 
Island, where Canonicus, chief of the Narragansetts, 
received him as a brother. 

Williams' Views. — Perhaps you may wonder why the 
Indians were so friendly to a man whom the white people 
had thus driven away. They knew that he was a good 
man who had never wronged any of their people ; and 



52 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

it was on account of this that they were now so ready to 
befriend him. One of the reasons for sending Williams 
into exile was because he said that the colonists had no 
right to take the land of the Indians unless they paid 
for it. The Puritans, however, seemed to think that the 
Indians had nothing to say in the matter. 

Williams said also that every man ought to be allowed 
to vote, no matter in what way he chose to worship God. 
As Williams was a minister, the Puritans thought that 
if he were to continue to teach such dangerous views 
as these, the colony would be ruined. 

Governor Winthrop's Kindness. — Governor Winthrop 
was a friend to the young minister, and gave him a 
letter saying that he was a good man and asking help 
for him. The governor knew that this letter would save 
from trouble those who should treat him kindly. 

There were many people in the colony who believed 
in these opinions of Roger Williams, and were even 
ready to follow him into exile. 

The Providence Plantation. — Williams received from 
Canonicus a large tract of land, on which he with five 
companions settled (1636) Providence Plantation. Soon 
after, a number of families followed from Massachusetts 
Bay Colony, and though the new settlement was for a 
time weak in numbers, it finally prospered. 

The Rhode Island Plantation. — Another band of exiles 
came, about two years afterward, and buying a small 
island from the Narragansetts, settled (1638) Rhode 
Island Plantation. That colonj^ also prospered, 



THE COLONIES. 53 

The Charter of the Combined Colonies. — About eight 
years after the settlement of Providence, Williams went 
to England, and obtained (1644) a charter uniting the 
two Plantations. 

Religious Freedom. — One of the first things the peo- 
ple did on receiving their charter, was to make a law 
allowing every one to worship God in his own way. 
The new colony now became a safe home for all who 
were ill-treated elsewhere. 



CONNECTICUT. 

Connecticut Colony (1633-36). — At about the same 
time that Rhode Island was settled, parties from Plymouth 
and Massachusetts Bay were moving westward to the 
rich valley of Connecticut. Some of them settled Wind- 
sor, Hartford, and Wethersfield, and these settlements were 
shortly afterward united under the name of the Connec- 
ticut Colony. 

As the land occupied by the new colony was claimed 
by the Dutch, the settlers had to fortify their homes 
against them as well as against the native Indians. 

The Pequod War. — One of the Indian tribes, the 
Pequods, watched the recent advance of the white set- 
tlers with angry feelings, for they saw that they would 
soon lose their hunting-grounds. They resolved to destroy 
the new settlements, and tried to get the Narragansetts 
to join them in a war against the whites. 



54 



A PRIMARY HISTORY. 



An Appeal to Roger Williams. — When the Governor 
of Massachusetts learned of these warhke preparations, he 
appealed to Roger Williams to help keep the Narragan- 
setts from joining in the war. That noble man, for- 
getting all about his cruel banishment, set out for the 




INDIAN ATTACK ON A SETTLEMENT. 



Indian settlements, on a stormy winter's night, to do 
as the governor wished. Arriving at the wigwam of 
the king, he found that a favorable reply was about to 
be given to the Pequod messengers, but, after much 
pleading, he finally persuaded the Narragansetts to re- 
main at peace. 

The First Bloodshed.— The Pequods then began the 
war alone and made an attack (1637) upon the white 



THE COLONIES. 55 

people, killing thirty of them. This savage deed nerved 
the colonists to vengeance. Captain Mason was now 
sent with a small band of settlers to punish them. 

Destruction of the Pequods. — Finding the Indians 
encamped on the Mystic River, he resolved to attack 
them at night. Mason set fire to their camp and then 
surrounded it with his men. As the savages rushed from 
their burning wigwams, they were met with a deadly fire 
from Mason and his band. Hardly a Pequod escaped ; 
the tribe was almost completely destroyed. After such 
a terrible lesson, the other tribes remained at peace for 
nearly forty years. 

The New Haven Colony. — The New Haven Colony 
was settled (1638), the year after the Pequod war, by a 
large number of wealthy families from Ijondon. 

The New England League.— The Pequod war taught 
the New England people a valuable lesson. They learned 
from it how weak each colony was alone, and what great 
perils really beset them. Any one of these colonies, they 
saw, might easily be overcome in a single night by a com- 
bined attack of the Indians and the Dutch. A union or 
league of the New England colonies was therefore formed 
for a common defense. The Rhode Island and the Provi- 
dence settlements, however, were not admitted into this 
union, because the Plymouth Colony claimed that its 
charter covered their territory. 

This was the first Union of Colonies in America ; and, 
in later years, we shall see how this plan was again 
resorted to when their liberties were in danger. 



56 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

Union of the Connecticut Colonies. — The two colonies 
were afterward united (1662), and received a very liberal 
charter from the king. This charter was highly prized 
by the people of the Connecticut Colony, for it gave them 
all the rights and liberties of English citizens. 

The Charter Concealed. — Twenty years later, the king 
of England made up his mind that the colonies had too 
much freedom, and resolved to take the control of them 
into his own hands. He made the whole of New England 
one royal province, and sent out a tyrant to govern it. 
The royal governor came to Hartford (1687) in great 
pomp and demanded the charter of the colony ; but the 
precious paper was carried off and hidden away in the 
hollow trunk of an oak-tree, long known as the Charter 
Oak, where it remained for nearly three years. After a 
new king came to the English throne, the charter was 
brought from its hiding-place, and the colony was allowed 
once more to enjoy its freedom. 

NEW HAMPSHIRE. 

First Settlements. — Shortl}^ after the settlement of 
Plymouth, two men named Gorges and Mason, secured a 
patent for a large tract of country lying between the 
Merrimac and Kennebec rivers. They brought two com- 
panies of colonists from England, and settled them at 
Portsmouth and Dover. These settlements were feeble 
and made so little progress that for many years they 
continued to be nothing more than fishing and trading 



THE COLONIES. 57 

stations. A few years later, more tiouhshing settlements 
were made along the coast of Maine. 

The Charter Withdrawn. — The country thus occupied 
was for a long time the subject of bitter dispute, so 
much so, that the charter was withdrawn, and the terri- 
tory divided. The part now known as New Hampshire 
was given to Mason, while Grorges received the part now 
comprised within the State of Maine. 

Chang"es in Government. — The whole region was after- 
ward (1641) taken by Massachusetts. Forty years later, 
New Hampshire became a royal province and continued 
such for a period of ten years. It then once more came 
under the control of Massachusetts, until (1741) it be- 
came an independent colony, Maine, however, continued 
an unbroken connection with Massachusetts, down to 
the early part of the present century (1820), when it 
became a separate State. 

Difficulties of the Colony. — The early settlers of New 
Hampshire had many difficulties to contend with. The soil 
was poor and unproductive, and for many winters food 
was very scarce. The titles to their lands were for a long 
time insecure, owing to the many changes in the govern- 
ment of the colony. Their nearness to Canada brought 
them often into collision with the French, while the small- 
ness of their settlements and their remoteness from each 
other, laid them open to frequent attacks by the Indians. 
Indeed, during King Philip's War, the whole region was 
overrun by the savages, who destroyed many towns and 
settlements, and murdered hundreds of the settlers. 



"58 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

DELAWARE. 

The first colony in Delaware was established (1631) 
by the Dutch, near Cape Henlopen. It had a brief 
existence ; for three years after its settlement, it was at- 
tacked and destroyed by the Indians, not a soul escaping 
to tell the story. 

Settlement of New Sweden. — A colony of Swedes 
and Finns, under Peter Min'uit, made a settlement (1639) 
and built a fort on Chris ti an'a Creek, near the place where 
the city of Wilmington now stands. The colonists bought 
land of the Indians on the west side of the Delaware 
River, the latter taking articles of merchandise in pay- 
ment for it. They named the country New Sweden. 

The new colonists were a simple-minded, religious, and 
thrifty people. They soon became contented and happy 
in their new homes, and built up a flourishing trade 
with the Indians and the colonies near by. 

Conquered by the Dutch. — The Dutch now became 
jealous of their new neighbors, and disputed their right 
to settle in that territory, claiming all the lands on the 
Delaware for themselves, by right of discovery and pre- 
vious settlement. Much trouble consequently followed. 
Finally, Peter Stuyvesant, who was then governor of 
New Netherland, sent a large force of soldiers from New 
Amsterdam (1655), which subdued the Swedish colony, 
and brought it under Dutch rule. 

Captured by the English.— When the Duke of York 
took New Netherland (1664), Delaware also came into 



THE COLONIES. 59 

his possession. The Duke made a grant of the colony 
to Wilham Penn (1682), who at once merged it in his 
larger colony of Pennsylvania, of which it remained a 
part for twenty years. The people of Delaware then 
(1703) received the right to choose a separate legislature 
of their own, but still continued under the control of 
Pennsylvania. They afterward declared their independ- 
ence of Pennsylvania and formed a government for them- 
selves. 

PENNSYLVANIA. 

The territory west of the Delaware River was granted 
to Vfilliam Penn by the English king, Charles 11. , in pay- 
ment of a large debt due his father. 

William Penn was a member of the Society of Friends, 
or Quakers, as they are sometimes called. The Quakers 
in England, at that time, were persecuted for their be- 
lief, as cruelly as had been the Puritans and the Cath- 
olics at an earlier period. 

In securing this grant of land in America, Penn's 
purpose was to found there a colony as a refuge for his 
people, where they could worship G-od as they pleased, 
without fear or restraint. 

First Settlement. — The Quakers had suffered much 
for conscience sake, and now that a way of escape was 
opened to them, were ready to flock to the new world 
in great numbers. During the first year (1682), two 
thousand of them came over and made their homes 



60 



A PRIMARY HISTORY. 



along the Delaware, some in rude huts, and others 
in caves cut in the banks of the river. Penn him- 
self came over the following year (1783), and pur- 
chased from the Swedes a broad strip of land at 
the junction of the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers, 

on which he proceeded to 
lay out the city of Phila- 
delphia. About this time, 
he secured control of the 
Colony of Delaware, Avhich 
was thereafter, for more 
than twenty years, gov- 
erned as part of Pennsyl- 
vania. 

The Quakers and the 
Indians. — We have seen 
what a constant source of 
trouble the Indians proved 
to be to the people of the 
Massachusetts and the Connecticut colonies. When the 
Quakers made their settlement in Pennsylvania, they too 
found a fierce tribe of savages occupying the country ; 
but they had no such trouble with them as had the 
settlers in the New England colonies. The Quakers were 
an honest, religious, and peaceful people, and from the 
first treated the Indians kindly, and dealt with them 
fairly. The result was that they were never threatened 
with terrible massacres and had to wage no bloody 




WILLIAM PENN. 



wars. 



THE COLONIES. 



61 



Soon after his arrival, Penn inAdted the leading Indian 
chiefs to meet him for a friendly talk. He and a few of 
the settlers met them under a great elm-tree, on the spot 
where his monument now stands in Philadelphia. He 
told the dusky savages that the white people had come 
to live among them as brothers, in peace and friendship, 
and promised to pay them for all land which the colonists 
should occupy. 

The Indians were pleased with the Quakers and called 
them brave men, because they did not come to the meet- 
ing with guns in their hands. When presents were given 
them, they were filled with joy, and in turn assured Penn 
of their friendship toward him and 
his people. "We will live," said they, 
" in love with the children 
of William Penn while 
the sun and moon shall 
shine." And this prom- 
ise, they 
violated. In 
all the subse- 
quent wars 
between 




penn's treaty tree. 



62 A PKIMARY HISTORY. 

the white and the red men, the latter always spared the 
Quakers. 

Government of the Colony. — Instead of governing his 
province himself, as he had power to do, Penn called an 
assembly of the people to make laws, and the colony at 
once became a free and happy one. He retained a few 
rights as proprietor, the most important of which was the 
appointment of the governor. After Penn's death, his 
heirs continued to exercise this right until it was pur- 
chased (1779) of them by the State of Pennsylvania. 

Growth of the Colony. — The Quaker settlement grew 
rapidly from the beginning, both in numbers and in 
wealth. Its fame spread all over Europe, and a large 
band of settlers from Germany were among the first to 
come, and making a settlement near Philadelphia, called 
it Grermantown. Philadelphia itself became, in a few 
years, one of the largest and most prosperous of the 
colonial cities. 

THE CAROLINAS. 

The Virginia Colony increased so rapidly that forty 
years after the settlement at Jamestown, the whole 
country bordering on the Atlantic was occupied by 
plantations and settlements. 

As fresh settlers came, some went far back into 
the wilderness; while others, keeping to the sea-coast, 
struck southward, toward the great unoccupied country 
beyond the Virginia border. In this way, many of the 



THE COLONIES. 63 

poorer planters and laborers of the Virginia Colony, 
sometimes singly and sometimes in companies, drifted 
into that wild region (1651) and made rude homes 
for themselves along the banks of the Chowan River. 

The Albemarle Colony. — A little later, enterprising 
emigrants from other parts were attracted to the new 
country, many coming from New England, and some 
from the Bermuda Islands. Most of these purchased 
land of the Indians and settled at the mouth of the 
Cape Fear River. A number of scattered settlements had 
thus sprung up (1653), and the country occupied by 
them received the name of Albemarle. This was the be- 
ginning of the present State of North Carolina. 

Twelve years after the first settlement (1663), King 
Charles II., who we remember had given away a good 
deal of land in America, made a grant of this whole 
region, which, in his own honor, he called Carolina, to 
eight of his favorite courtiers. 

The Plans of the Proprietors. — These proprietors 
formed a grand scheme for dividing the country into 
provinces, each of which was to be governed by a great 
Lord, called a Landgrave. Under these were to be sev- 
eral orders of nobility, and beneath these still knights, 
freemen, and slaves. The colonists could not all be 
nobles, and none were willing to be slaves. Accordingly 
the foolish scheme, so ill suited to a new country, where 
every man had to work hard for a living, came to noth- 
ing. The Albemarle colonists only laughed at it and 
proceeded to set up a government of their own. 



64 A PRIMAKY HISTORY. 

The Carteret Colony. — Seven years later (1670), the 
proprietors sent a company of emigrants from England, 
who made a settlement at Port Royal, where Ribaut, a 
hundred years before, had m.ade an nnsuccessful attempt 
to plant a colony. After living there awhile, they re- 
moved to a more favorable situation, at the mouth of 
the Ashley River, where they founded the present city 
of Charleston. This was called the Carteret Colony; and 
Charleston, also named after Charles 11. , was the first 
permament settlement in South Carolina. 

Character of the Colonists. — The earlier settlers were 
largely composed of rough and lawless adventurers, who 
were the cause of a great deal of trouble and discord in 
the colony. Bands of pirates infested the coasts for 
years, encouraged and often aided, in their work, by the 
colonists. But a marked change in the character of the 
colony took place when a better class of settlers began 
to come. These were the Huguenots, or French Protest- 
ants, who were persecuted at home and fled to Caro- 
lina in great numbers. These jDeople were refined, intel- 
ligent, and industrious, and formed a valuable accession 
to the colony. Many of the Dutch came from New 
York, small companies of settlers came from other colo- 
nies, and soon the country filled up with a mixed, but 
desirable, population. 

Government of the Colony. — The people of the Caro- 
lina colonies had the making of their own laws, and 
consequently enjoyed a large degree of freedom. Relig- 
ious toleration was early guaranteed to all. Like all the 



T PI E C () L O N T K S . 65 

other colonies, Carolina had much trouble with its gov- 
ernors, many of whom were not only tyrannical, but 
greedy and dishonest as well. 

The proprietors experienced so much difficulty in 
trying to rule the Carolina colonists, that at length they 
gave up in despair and surrendered their rights to the 
king, who divided (172 9) the territory into two royal 
provinces — North Carolina and South Carolina. 



GEORGIA. 

Georgia, the last of the colonies founded (1733), 
was so named in honor of the English king, George 
the Second. 

It was the custom in England at that time, to im- 
prison merchants who failed in business, and persons 
who, for any reason, could not pay their debts. 

These unfortunate people were often confined in filthy 
jails for many years, and were subjected to the most 
brutal and inhuman treatment. 

James Oglethorpe (o'gi^ thorp), an English officer, 
and kind and benevolent man, took great interest in 
these people, and did much to lessen the misery of their 
condition. He formed the idea of founding in America 
a colony where not only they, but the poor and dis- 
tressed of all nations, might have an opportunity of 
redeeming themselves and bettering their fortunes. 

The first Settlement. —Oglethorpe laid his plans be- 
fore the king and received from him a grant of the 



66 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

unoccupied country lying between the Oarolinas and the 
Spanish colony in Florida. 

He then obtained the release of a large number of 
these debtors, and sailing with them to America, made 
a settleiTient at Savannah. The land was divided among 
the settlers, houses were built, a fort was erected for de- 
fense, and the people worked with so much energy and 
spirit that rapid progress was made, and Savannah, in a 
short time, became a pretty and flourishing town. Imi- 
tating the example of William Penn, Oglethorpe by 
kindness soon won the good-will of the neighboring 
Indians and entered into friendly treaties with them. 

The story of the success of this colony soon spread, 
and fresh colonists, among them many Scotch and Ger- 
man laborers, poured in from all parts of Europe. 

Troubles with the Spaniards. — The Spaniards who 
claimed the territory occupied by the new colony, were 
not disposed to allow the English settlements to extend 
southward without a struggle. A long and angry dispute 
followed the settlement of the colony ; and when war 
broke out between England and Spain, Oglethorpe, 
anticipating a Spanish attack, promptly invaded Florida 
(1740) and laid siege to St. Augustine. But his plans, 
though well laid, miscarried from the start, and he 
was forced to return to Georgia with a broken and 
discouraged army. Two years later, a large Spanish 
force attempted to destroy the Georgia colony, but it 
was met with such determined resistance hj Oglethorpe 
and his small army, that, after one or two encounters, 



THE COLONIES. 67 

the Spaniards fled in a panic to their ships and the 
colony was saved. 

Government of the Colony. — By the charter of the 
colony, the settlers were guaranteed all the rights and 
privileges of Englishmen. Freedom of religion was 
granted to all, except Catholics. 

Each man held his land under a promise to render 
military service when called on. The importation of 
rum was strictly forbidden, and no slaves were, under 
any circumstances, to be brought into the colony. But 
after a while, the people complained that they could not 
till their lands in so warm a climate without slaves, and 
slavery was accordingly introduced seven years after the 
first settlement. 

Many laws and regulations were made which dis- 
pleased the colonists and bred discontent. The trustees, 
at last, finding the colony hard to manage, surrendered 
the charter, and Georgia became (1752) a royal province. 

You haA^e now read the history of the origin and 
development of the thirteen English colonies. There is 
a great deal more to be told about them, but before 
we proceed with our story let us commit their names to 
memory in the order in which they were founded. They 
are as follows: — 1. Virginia; 2. New York; 3. New 
Jersey ; 4. Massachusetts ; 5. New Hampshire ; 6. Mary- 
land ; 7. Connecticut; 8. ItHODE Island; 9. Delaware; 
10. Pennsylvania; 11. North Carolina; 12. South 
Carolina; 13. Gteorgia. 



A PRIMARY HISTORY. 



THE FRENCH IN NORTH AMERICA. 

From the date of the first settlement in Virginia (1007), 
to the landing of Oglethorpe in Georgia (1732), was a 
period of one hundred and twenty-five years. During 
that time, England had been steadily planting settlements 
along the Atlantic coast, until now a chain of rich and 
prosperous English colonies extended from New Hamp- 
shire southward for a distance of a thousand miles. 




CAKTIER LANDING AT MONTREAL. 



But while the English were planting these colonies 
along the coast, the French had not been idle. They 
had firmly established themselves in Canada— then called 
New France — and were diligently exploring the great lake 
region of the West and the Mississippi valley. 



THECOLONIES. 60 

Early French Explorations. — We have already learned 
how Verrazani explored the coast of North America 
(1524) and claimed the country for France. We learned, 
also, how Cartier, ten years afterward (1534), discovered 
the St. Lawrence River and, ascending it as far as Mont- 
real, took possession of all that region for the French 
king. After Cartier, many others came over from France 
to explore and colonize the conntry. There were three 
of them whose names are interwoven with the history 
of French exploration in the New World, and whose 
romantic lives and adventures deserve to be remembered. 

Champlain (sham plan') explored the St. Lawrence 
River and made a settlement in Nova Scotia (1604), 
nearly three years before the first English settlement at 
Jamestown. He founded Quebec (1608), and in one of 
his many tours discovered the magnificent lake which 
bears his name. Champlain was the first governor of 
New France ; and, under his wise and prudent guidance, 
the seeds of French power were carefully planted in 
Canada. Forts and settlements were established at vari- 
ous points, a profitable trade in furs was carried on with 
the natives, while zealous Jesuit (jez'u it) missionaries 
penetrated the forests at the risk of their lives to 
preach Christianity to the Indians. 

Marquette (mar ket') went to New France at an early 
age, as a Jesuit missionary. He spent many years among 
various tribes of Indians, learning their languages, study- 
ing their habits and customs, and teaching them the 
truths of the Christian religion. He had often heard the 



70 



A PRIMABY HISTORY, 



Indians speak of a great 
river to the south which 
emptied into the ocean, 
and he determined to find 
it. He made his way 
(1673) on foot to the 
Wisconsin River. Here 
he and his countryman, 
Joliet (zhoMe a), with 
five attendants, embarked 
in two frail canoes and 
floated along for seven 
days, when, to their great 
joy, they found them- 
selves on the broad waters 
of the Mississippi River, 
which De Soto had dis- 
covered one hundred and 
thirty years before. They 
continued their solitary 
journey down the Missis- 
sippi, discovering the Mis- 
souri and Ohio rivers, 
until they reached the 
mouth of the Arkansas 
River. Retracing their 
course, they entered and 
ascended the Illinois 
River, visited the site of 




THE COLONIES. 71 

Chicago, and at length reached Green Bay, on Lake 
Michigan (16 74), after a journey of twenty-five hundred 
miles. 

La Salle (sal), on hearing of Marquette's discoveries 
and his romantic journey through the wilds of America, 
became seized with a desire to extend the boundaries of 
New France by discoveries of his own. He explored lakes 
Ontario and Erie, and selected the spot on which the 
city of Detroit now stands, as a desirable place for a 
colony. (See map on page 70.) 

After planting a settlement at Mack' i naw, he visited 
Green Bay, where Marquette had stopped five years 
before. He wandered all over the region of Illinois, 
Wisconsin, and Michigan, going boldly among tribes of 
savage Indians, often beset with difficulties and enduring 
sufferings, but always sustained by his indomitable cour- 
age and his pride in the grandeur of his undertaking. 

After exploring the great rivers that flow into the 
Mississippi, he sent a small party of his followers, under 
Hen 'ne pin (1680), to explore the sources of that river. 
Hennepin and his company ascended it as far as the 
Falls of St. Anthony. Two years afterward (1682), La 
Salle himself descended the Mississippi to its mouth. 
Here he set up a cross and a column bearing the royal 
arms of France, and formally claimed all the country 
along the Mississippi and its tributaries, from Canada to 
the Gulf of Mexico, for his royal master. To this vast 
territory he gave the name of Louisiana, in honor of 
the French king. 



72 A PRIMARY HISTORr. 

Returning through the wilderness to Montreal, he 
sailed for France. There he described to the delighted 
king and his court, the marvelous country he had dis- 
covered. 

He soon sailed again (1684) for America with three 
hundred settlers, with whom he proposed to found a 
colony in Louisiana. When his ships reached the Gulf 
of Mexico, they missed the mouth of the great river, 
and La Salle and his company landed in Texas and 
made a settlement. La Salle now endeavored to find the 
Mississippi River. But disasters followed thick and fast. 
One of his ships abandoned him, another was wrecked ; 
while disease and hunger on the one hand, and the 
Indians on the other, were rapidly thinning his ranks. 
His companions, on account of their sufferings, became 
mutinous, and one of them, in a spirit of revenge, killed 
him. The few survivors of the colony fell into the 
hands of the Spaniards and were j)ut to the sword. 

Though La Salle was no more, his scheme had not 
died with him ; for, thirt}^ years after his death, pros- 
perous settlements had been made at Mobile and New 
Orleans. 



THE COLONIAL WARS. 

The French and the English colonists differed from 
each other in almost every respect. They were of a 
different race, they differed in ideas, in feelings, and in 
religion. They were bitter rivals in the fur trade and 



THE C0L0N1ES„ 



73 



on the fishing-grounds. Owing to all this, an intense 
jealousy and liatred had gradually grown up between 
them. They were now, moreover, in close proximity, 
and it rec^uired but a slight cause to provoke blood- 
shed. So, whenever a war broke out in Europe between 

lit k. ^M-=^%. ■ 1 





\_>5|^i 




A COLONIAL FAMILY FLEEING FROM THE INDIANS. 



England and France, their American colonies at once 
took sides in the quarrel and became involved in 
bloody conflict with one another. 

King William's War (1689-1697) was brought about 
by a great event that took place in England. You will 
remember the English king who thought the colonies 



74 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

had too much hberty, and who took away their charters 
and made them all into one royal province. That same 
monarch became so unpopular in England, that he was 
driven from the throne, and a new king, William III., 
put in his place. The King of France took offense at 
this action of the English people and at once declared 
war against England. 

The governor of New France promptly gathered a 
large body of Indians, who, joining with the French, 
carried the war into New England and New York. The 
defenseless settlements in New Hampshire and Maine 
were ravaged by fire and sword. Scenes of ferocious 
barbarism took place all along the frontier. A party 
of French and Indians descended into New York, and, in 
the dead of night, fell upon the quiet village of Schenec- 
tady (sken ek'ta dy). A most horrible massacre followed, 
after which the village was fired. 

All the northern colonies now united and, in return, 
made war on the French. Two expeditions were planned ; 
one for the capture of Montreal and the other for the 
capture of Quebec ; but both of them were feebly con- 
ducted and failed. Acadia, however, was taken. The 
war lasted eight years, and was carried on by the French 
with heartless cruelty. When peace was declared, Acadia 
was given back to the French. 

Queen Anne's War (1702-1713). — Four years after- 
ward, war broke out again. This time England was 
arrayed against Spain as well as against France ; so that, 
while the people of New England had to contend against 



THE COLONIES. 75 

the French and Indians of Canada, as during King Will- 
iam's War, the colonists in South Carolina were compelled 
to fight the Spanish and their Indian allies in Florida. 

The governor of South Carolina sent a force (1702) 
to Florida to capture St. Augustine. The place was 
about to surrender, when, a Spanish fleet appearing upon 
the coast, the victors were forced to retreat. A com- 
bined French and Spanish fleet, in return, made an 
attack on Charleston four years afterward, but was 
gallantly driven out of Charleston harbor. 

All the horrors of Indian warfare were again enacted 
on the advanced settlements of Massachusetts, Connec- 
ticut, and New Hampshire. Village after village was 
desolated ; men, women, and children were murdered 
without mercy, while great numbers were carried off 
into captivity. Few escaped by flight. 

The New England colonies now carried the war into 
Canada, and ravaged the French settlements on the 
border. Acadia was again captured and its name 
changed to Nova Scotia. It has ever since been held 
by England. 

King George's War (1744-1748). — After thirty years 
of jDcace, France and England had another quarrel which 
resulted in war. An expedition was organized by the 
governor of Massachusetts for the capture of Louisburg, 
on Cape Breton {hrW un) Island, one of the strongest 
fortresses in Canada. Connecticut, Rhode Island, and 
New Hampshire readily entered into the project, and 
contributed men and money freely. An English fleet 



76 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

bore the colonial army and landed it before Louisburg. 
Desperate fighting took place before the town was sur- 
rounded ; but the valor of the colonial troops prevailed, 
and the French were driven behind their strong defenses. 

Louisburg was now regularly besieged and, after a 
heroic resistance of six weeks, was forced to surrender. 
The rude soldiers of New England had thus reduced the 
greatest stronghold in America, the key to the French 
possessions in Canada. The news of the victory sent a 
thrill of joy throughout the English colonies ; but, when 
peace was declared (1748), and Louisburg given back 
to the French, the colonists were deeply chagrined. 
They had learned, however, how well they could fight 
against trained soldiers, and, thereafter, they had greater 
confidence in themselves. 

The French and Indian War (1754-1763).— But a 
greater war than any of these was close at hand. It was 
to be a struggle to decide whether the French or the 
English were to be supreme in North America. 

We have already seen that the English, when they 
planted colonies along the Atlantic coast, claimed the 
country back of them to the Pacific Ocean, while the 
French, whose main colonies were in Canada, claimed all 
the territory east of the Mississippi, not occupied by the 
English, from the St. Lawrence to the Gulf of Mexico. 
These claims, of course, conflicted, and the time was now 
approaching when they must be decided. 

The French had watched the growth of the English 
colonies with jealous eyes, and sought, by erecting a 



THECOLONIES. 77 

chain of forts and military stations, to hem them in and 
keep tliem from extending westward. 

How the War came About. — As the English colonies 
grew, small parties of men from Virginia and Pennsyl- 
vania crossed the Alleghany Mountains, to make settle- 
ments in the Ohio River region. The French sent sol- 
diers to break up the English settlements as fast as they 
were made, and to drive away the colonists. 

Governor Dinwid'die, of Virginia, sent a young man 
named George Washington with a message to the French 
commander on Lake Erie, demanding the withdrawal of 
French soldiers from the disputed ground. But that offi- 
cer replied that the country belonged to France, and 
refused to withdraw from it. 

It was now clear that the French colonies and the 
English colonies could not live in peace Y\^ith each other 
in this country. One or the other must control it all, 
and war must decide which should go and which should 
stay. 

TJie First Fight.— In. the spring (1754), the French drove 
away some English settlers from the spot where Pitts- 
burgh now stands, and built a fort there which they called 
Fort Duquesne (du kan'). Washington was sent with a 
small force to see what they were about, and one night 
he surprised and defeated a party of French and Indians 
who had been sent against him. But the fort was too 
strong for him to take with his small command. He there- 
fore built a stockade fort, which he called Fort Necessity, 
and resolved to hold his ground until other troops could 



78 A PKIMARY HISTORY. 

come to his assistance. Before help could reach him, 
however, a large body of French and Indians attacked 
him, and, after a severe fight, he was forced to surrender. 

Bradcloch's Defeat. — During the next year (1755), a 
British general named Braddock took command, and 
marched against Fort Duquesne with a strong force, com- 
posed partly of regular soldiers from England and partly 
of colonial volunteers. He took Washington with him as 
his aid. Like all British officers of that time, Braddock 
thought very little of the colonial officers and soldiers. 

Washington informed him that the French had large 
bodies of Indians with them, and told him that it would 
not do to fight Indians in the way that white soldiers 
had to be fought. The Indians never come out in regu- 
lar order and fight a battle ; they hide behind trees and 
rocks, and pick off men with their rifles, taking care 
never to show themselves openly. Washington kncAv the 
Indian method of fighting, and he begged Braddock to 
allow his soldiers to fight in the same manner. But 
Braddock sneered at this advice, and marched on, as if 
on parade, with drums beating and flags flying. 

When the army came within ten miles of the fort, 
the Indians, who were hidden in the woods, suddenly 
opened fire. They were all around the English, pouring 
in a shower of bullets from every side, and yet scarcely 
one of them could be seen. Still, Braddock would not 
take advice. He kept his regulars together, firing volleys 
which did no good, while the Indians, from behind trees 
and rocks^ were shooting his men down by scores. 



THE COLONIES. 



79 



The whole army would have been de- 
stroyed but for Washington's cour- 
age and good sense. With his 
little body of colonial volunteers, 
he rushed into the woods and 
held the Indians back until 
Braddock's regulars could retreat. 
Braddock himself was mor- 
tally wounded, and so 
Washington took com- 
mand in time to 
save what was 
left of the 
army 
It 




80 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

had been so badly beaten that even the demorahzed 
remnant could not have retired but for Washington's 
skill and the courage of the colonial troops. 

Tlw War in the J^orth, — Fort Duquesne was only one 
of the points to be fought for. This war, as we already 
know, was not a mere fight for certain pieces of territory, 
but was a last, fierce struggle to decide whether America 
should belong to England or to France. So the French 
tried to hold their own, not only west of^the Alleghany 
Mountains, but marched down from Canada to conquer 
the English in New York and New England, while the 
English tried to take Canada from the French. 

The English, at the opening of the war, had planned 
four expeditions to take four important points. Braddock 
was to seize Fort Duquesne, but he failed. General 
Shirley was to take Fort Niagara, and he also failed. 
The other two expeditions were a little more successful. 

One of them took the French forts on the Bay of 
Fundy, and cruelly forced the people of Acadia to leave 
their homes and all they had in the world. These un- 
fortunate people were driven on board of English ships 
and scattered through the colonies wherever the English 
chose to send them. They had thus to begin life over 
again among strangers, after having labored for years 
to make good homes for themselves in Acadia. 

The Battle of Lahe George.— The other expedition was 
led by General Johnson, and its object was to capture 
Ticonderoga (ti kondero'ga), at the northern end of Lake 
George, and Grown Point, at the southern end of Lake 



THE COLONIES. 81 

Ghamplain. These places would be of great importance 
to the English, and so Johnson marched with an army 
to take them. When he reached the head of Lake 
George, he met the French, and a fierce battle was 
fought. Success seemed at first to be altogether with 
the French ; but after awhile, Johnson was slightly 
wounded, when Q-eneral Lyman, a bra\^e colonial officer, 
took command and beat the French terribly. It was a 
great victory, but, instead of pushing on to Ticonderoga 
and Crown Point, Johnson remained where he was and 
built a fort, which he named William Henr}^ 

English Disasters. — During the next two years 
every thing went badly with the English. Montcalm 
(mont kahm')? the French general, took Fort Oswe'go, on 
Lake On ta'ri o, and Fort William Henry, on Lake George 
(1757). Montcalm promised the English commander of 
Fort William Henry that his men should be allowed to 
march in safety down to Fort Edward, but just as they 
began their march, the Indian allies of the French fell 
upon them and killed many, in spite of all that Mont- 
calm could do to save them. 

The following year (1758), General Abercrombie (ab'- 
er crumby), with a very strong force, sailed down Lake 
George to attack the French at Ticonderoga ; but, al- 
though his army was much stronger than Montcalm's, he 
was badly beaten, losing tAvo thousand men. During the 
fight, which he ought to have led, he hid himself in a safe 
place, and when it was over, although he still had more 
men than the French, retreated as quickly as he could. 



OA A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

Row a Change came about. — Abercrombie's defeat was 
the last of the Enghsh disasters. The colonists now had 
arms enough, and were allowed to fight in their own 
way, and a series of brilliant victories followed. General 
Amherst (am' erst) stormed and took Louisbm^g, the 
French stronghold on Cape Breton Island, while a month 
later Colonel Bradstreet, of New York, with a small body 
of colonial soldiers, took Fort Fron' te nac, at the lower 
end of Lake Ontario. Before the close of the year, 
Washington captured Fort Duquesne ; and so, when the 
year ended, the English were better off than they had 
been at any time since the war began. During the next 
year (1759), the war still went well with the English. 
General Amherst succeeded in taking Ticonderoga and 
Crown Point, and General Prideaux (prld'o) captured 
Fort Niagara. 

The French were now completely shut out of the ter- 
ritory of the English colonies, but they still held Quebec, 
the strongest place in America, and so long as they held 
that town Canada Avas secure. General Wolfe, therefore, 
made up his mind to attack Quebec. 

Tlve Capture of Quebec. — This was a very daring under- 
taking, because the city was built on the top of a high 
bluff, and it was strongly defended. Wolfe had under 
him an army of eight thousand men, but Montcalm, the 
French commander, had as many on his side, and that, 
too, behind the fortifications. For several months Wolfe 
could not find a way even to get before the French 
Avorks. At last, he discovered a narrow path that led to 



THE COLONIES. 83 

the top of the bhiff, and one night he landed, surprised 
and captured tlie guards, and led his men up this path. 

When morning came, Wolfe, with his army, was on 
the Plains of Abraham, with level ground between him 
and the town. The French came out and made a fierce 
charge. Wolfe's men held their ground and drove the 
French back. After a severe battle, in which both Wolfe 
and Montcalm were killed, the French were beaten, and 
a few days later the English marched into the town. 
From that day to this, the English have held Quebec, 
which they call the Gibraltar (gi hraVter) of America. 

IJjid of tliG War. — About a year later, the English took 
Montreal, and when peace was made between England, 
France, and Spain (1763), it was agreed that the English 
should have all the country east of the Mississippi Kiver, 
and Spain all the country west of it. The French thus 
gave up all their possessions in North America. 

QUESTIONS. 

1. Why did the first settlers in the different colonies know little about each other? 

2. What was the character of the Virginia colonists? Who was Captain John 

Smith? What did he do for the colony? Tell about Pocahontas. "What 
plant was largely raised by the colonists? Grive an account of the wars 
with the Indians. What happened during "Bacon's Rebellion"? 

3. "Who first settled New York? Which one of the Dutch governors was the 

most able ? What did he do ? AVhen did the English take possession ? 

4. By whom was the first settlement in Massachusetts made? With what diffi- 

culties did the Plymouth colonists meet? When was Massachusetts Bay 
Colony founded ? Give the cause and chief events of King Philip's War. 

5. When was New Jersey settled by the English? When was the colony divided? 

When re-united? When did it obtain a separate governor? 

6. When and by whom was Maryland settled? Tell about "Claybome's Re- 

bellion". What troubles took place between Catholics and Protestants? 



84 A PEIMARY HISTORY. 

7. Wlio settled Providence? G-lve the story of Roger Williams, "WTien was 

Rhode Island Plantation settled V "When did the colonies receive a charter ? 

8. When and at what places were the first settlements in Connecticut made? 

What was the cause of the Pequod War? Give an account of the war. 
Wlien and by whom was New Haven Colony settled ? Describe the New 
England League. Tell the story of the Charter Oak. 

9. What were the first New Hampshire settlements? What difBciilties did the 

settlers experience from the Indian wars? 

10. \Vho were the first settlers in Delaware? When did the Swedes establish a 

colony? Give an accoxmt of its conquest by the Dutch; — by the English. 
"Wlien was the territory granted to Penn? 

11. ^Vhen and under what grant did the Quakers settle Pennsj^lvania ? When 

was Philadelphia founded ? Tell about the treaty with the Indians. How 
was the colony governed? WTiat was the growth of the colony? 

12. ^Vhen were the first settlements made in the Carolinas? Who founded the 

Albemarle Colony? "Wliat were the plans of the proprietors? When was 
the Carteret Colony founded? When were the colonies separated? 

13. Who was the founder of Georgia, and what was his purpose? When was the 

first settlement made? When did trouble with the Spaniards occur? 
How was the colony governed? When did it become a royal province? 

14. Name in the order of settlement the thirteen original colonies. 

15. Who were the early Prench explorers? Give an account of Champlain;— 

Marquette ;— Da Salle. What was the result of the French explorations ? 

13. What were the causes of ill-feeling between tho Erench and the English in 
America? In what manner did wars in Europe affect the colonies? 

17. When did King William's War take place? Give an account of the chief 
events. When was the next war ? "What were the important events ? Tell 
about King George's War. What was the cause of the Erench and 
Indian War? Give an account of the events of 1754 ;— 1755 ;— 1756 ;— 
1757 ; — 1758 ;— 1759. "When was peace made ? "What were the results of 
the war? 

FOR READING OR RECITATION. 

Pocahontas.— Lj. H. Sigourney. 

Ode to Jamestown.— J . K. Paulding. 

Landing of tlie Pilgnms. F. C. Hemans. 

The Tiventy-second of I)ecembe7\— Bryant. 

Boger Williams. — Mrs. Whitman. 

The ^oi/e*.— Whittier. 

The King''s Missive. — Whittier. 

An Interrie%D with Miles Standish.—TjO'WY.iA.. 

The Old Thirteen.— C. T. Brooks. 




i-rf"_k: 



^REVOh Uf lONARY WAR 



<*,. 




The French and In- 
dian War had decided that Enghsh 
ideas were to prevail in North America. By the energy, 
courage, and patriotism of her colonies, England had 
now acquired a splendid empire in the new world. And 
while she reaped all the glory of the war and its fruits, 
it was the hardy colonists who had, throughout, borne 
the brunt of the conflict. 

Treatment of the Colonies. — The colonies being re- 
lieved from the anxiety which their hostile neighbors 
had hitherto caused them, were now free to extend their 
settlements to the west. But there was something 
which troubled their peace quite as much as their for- 
mer neighbors had done. This was their treatment by 
England. You will remember that almost every colony 
had had cause for complaint. Sometimes the colonists 



86 A PRIMAEY HISTORY. 

had been assailed in their personal liberty ; sometimes in 
their political rights. Dishonest governors had plundered 
them, and tyrannical governors had again and again 
grossly abused and oppressed them. 

Their wrongs had been forgotten in the excitement 
of the war ; but now that the war was over, the people 
began to remember them. 

Let us see what was the nature of some of the 
wrongs of which the colonists complained. 

The Navigation Act. — The New England people, liv- 
ing as they chiefly did along the sea-shore, had early 
entered into the business of building ships, which they 
sent with valuable cargoes to the West Indies, to En- 
gland, and to other parts of the world. In a few j^-ears, 
a large and profitable trade had been developed, and, as 
new markets opened to the enterprise of the colonists, 
they made money and grew wealthy. 

The English people after a time, however, became 
jealous of the prosperity of the colonists, and having 
many ships of their own, began to devise plans by which 
to grasp for themselves a share of the wealth that was 
thus rolling in to the colonists. 

Accordingly, a law was passed in England which 
prohibited any thing being brought into that country 
from the colonies unless taken there in an English ship, 
commanded by an English captain, and sailed by an En- 
glish crew. This was called the Navigation Act. The 
effect of this unjust law was severe upon the colonists. 
They had invested a great deal of money in ships, and 



THE KEVOLUTIONAKY WAR. 87 

now their ships must rot in idleness, in order that 
English merchants might make all the profits of carry- 
ing American goods to England. Thousands of brave 
American sailors were now to remain idle that English 
sailors might have steady and profitable employment. 

Acts of Trade. — All this was hard enough on the 
Americans. Still they could send part of their products 
to other countries in their own ships, and so, in spite 
of that unjust law, they continued to make money and 
to prosper. But the increasing prosperity of the colonies 
only increased the jealousy of the English merchants ; 
and, in order to make them still more dependent on En- 
gland, another and even more mijust law was made. 

This law forbade them sending their most valuable 
products, such as sugar, cotton, rice, and tobacco, to any 
other country than England. It placed the Americans 
at the mercy of English merchants, forcing them to 
take whatever those merchants saw fit to pay them for 
their products. For their cotton, tobacco, sugar, and 
rice, they received only about one half of what they 
could have got for them from other countries. 

Restricting Foreign Trade. — These two laws gave 
England control of the colonial shipping trade, as well 
as of almost every thing raised in the colonies. But 
this did not satisfy the greed of the English merchants. 
They must not only control every thing coming from 
the colonies, but they must control every thing going to 
the colonies as well. So another law was passed, prohib- 
iting the colonies importing any thing whatever from 



88 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

any country in Europe, unless it was shipped from an 
English port and in an English ship. 

Besides these, many other harsh laws were made 
which oppressed the people almost beyond endurance. 
The mountains of Pennsylvania were full of iron ; but 
the people were forbidden to use it, or even to sell it to 
England. In the great forests of the Carolinas they were 
not allowed to make turpentine or rosin or barrel staves. 
Hats or woolen goods could not be sent from one colony 
to another. Even on his own land, a farmer could not 
cut down a single tree without the king's consent. 

Indeed, the English people acted from the first as 
if the colonies existed only for the purpose of help- 
ing them make money. All these lavv^s were severely 
oppressive. They interfered with the trade of the col- 
onists, upon which their happiness and prosperity de- 
pended. And, moreover, these laws, hard as they were 
in themselves, became doubly odious to the people when 
tyrannical governors, with a swarm of petty officers, 
were sent over from England to enforce them. 

Writs of Assistance (1761). — The trade and industries 
of the colonies were now so unlawfully hedged about by 
these oppressive laws and regulations that many of the 
colonists evaded them whenever they could safely do 
so. Smuggling, therefore, was largely resorted to in 
every colony. American merchants would send their 
own ships to France or Spain, at the risk of capture, 
with a valuable cargo of rice or tobacco. These ships 
would return from those countries laden with goods. 



THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR. 89 

which were secretly landed without the knowledge of 
the British officers. 

During the French and Indian War, England was greatly 
in need of money, and so sought to put a stop to smug- 
gling by the colonists. She might easily have done this 
in a way that would not have offended the Americans. 
But she did not understand the spirit of the people, and 
resorted to a course which was certain to make them 
angry. A law was made which gave any British officer 
the right to search the stores and houses of the people 
for smuggled goods. This law, of course, was very ob- 
noxious to the colonists, and they resisted it in every 
way possible. 

Training of the Colonists. — The colonists, at first, 
were feeble, and unable to help themselves ; but now 
that they had become quite strong, they chafed under 
this injustice. They had fought bravely during the long 
French and Indian War, and the experience gained in 
that struggle had given them a confidence in themseh^es 
which they lacked before. 

They had discovered that they were quite as valiant 
as the British regulars. They had learned, too, that their 
own officers, among whom were Washington, Gates, Put- 
nam, and Montgomery, could manage an army just as 
well as the British officers who had treated them with 
contempt all through the war. 

But this was not all. During the war, the colonists 
had, in a measure, learned to govern themselves. They 
had made and enforced their own tax laws, and had 



00 A PRIMAEY HISTORY. 

raised large armies and paid them ; so that now they felt 
confident that, if necessary, they could manage all such 
matters for themselves. But, notwithstanding the harsh 
treatment they had received, they still loved the mother 
country, and had no thought of separating from her. 

Origin of the Trouble. — When the French and Indian 
War was over, England insisted that the colonists should 
aid in paying the heavy debt caused by it. The colo- 
nists thought that if money was to be raised from 
among them for that purpose, they, themselves, should be 
permitted to say, at least, in what manner it should be 
done. While they were perfectly willing to tax them- 
selves for England, they denied her right to tax them, 
because she would not allow them to be represented 
in the British Parliament, where the tax laws were 
made. In this the colonists were only insisting on their 
rights as Englishmen. The British would not listen 
to this reasonable argument, but continued to treat the 
Americans as though they had no rights whatever. 

The Stamp Act. — In 1765, a law called the Stamp 
Act was passed. It required the Americans to buy Brit- 
ish tax-stamps, and put them on all their deeds, bonds, 
and notes, as Avell as upon their newspapers and alma- 
nacs. This was more than the Americans would endure. 

They, therefore, mobbed the men who were sent over 
from England to sell the stamps, and resolved to resist 
not only this law, but all other unjust laws. The day 
the stamps arrived in Boston, so profound was the sor- 
row of the people, the church bells were tolled, minute- 



THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR. 



1 



guns were fired, and the vessels in ttie liarbor hung tlieir 
flags at half-mast. The people in every colony now 
pledged themselves not to use British goods of any 
kind, and manufactures soon started up in spite of the 
laws forbidding them. 

A Congress was held in New York to declare the 
rights of the colonies, and societies called Sons of 
Liberty, were formed to resist their 
wrongs. From Massachusetts to Caro- 
lina, the people were full of indigna- 
tion. The British government, seeing 
the determined opposition of the col- 
onists, repealed the Stamp Act the 
following year (1766). 

This, however, did not make mat- 
ters better, for Great Britain still 
claimed the right to tax the Amer- 
icans, and it was this claim alone which 
the Americans were resisting. They 
did not care for the stamp tax any 
more than they cared for any other, 
but they denied the right of the Brit- 

^ ^ STAMPS. 

ish government to tax them at all, 

unless they had a voice in making British laws. 

When, therefore, the Stamp Act was repealed, and, 
instead of it, taxes were laid on tea, glass, paints, and 
other articles brought into the country, the Americans 
resisted as stoutly as ever. Soldiers were then sent over 
from England to compel them to obedience. 





92 A PKIMARY HISTORY. 

The Mutiny Act (1768).— This was bad enough, but, 
to make matters still worse, a law called the Mutiny 
Act was passed, which required the colonies to support 
these soldiers who had been sent to overawe them. Of 
course the colonists refused to obey this law, and became 
more indignant than ever. They at last began to think 
of uniting against the British, as they had done against 
the French and Indians. 

The Boston Massacre (1770). — In Boston, people were 
incensed at the insolence of the British soldiers ; and, in 
March, 1770, during a quarrel, the soldiers fired upon 
the citizens, killing three and wounding two. At once 
the bells were rung, and the country people came run- 
ning into town with guns in their hands, to the defense 
of their countrymen. After a little time, however, the 
excitement was allayed, and the city grew quiet again. 

The Tea Tax (1773). — Seeing by the temper of the 
people that there was danger of war, the British now 
decided to take a different course. They repealed all 
taxes except a small duty on tea. That tax was small, 
but it was large enough to keep up their claim of a 
right to tax the Americans. The English thought, of 
course, that so paltry a tax would be paid without 
trouble. 

But again they were mistaken. The Americans did 
not care for the amount of the tax, but they did care 
for their rights. A great principle was involved in the 
dispute. They now not only refused to pay duty on tea, 
but would not submit to be taxed at all. The Charleston 



THE KEVOLUTIONARY WAR. \) 6 

people permitted the tea which had been sent to that 
city to be landed, but they stored it in damp ware- 
houses, Avhere it soon molded. The people of Philadel- 
phia and New York sent the tea-ships in their harbors 
back to England. Boston would have done the same 
thing, but the British officers would not permit them ; 
whereupon a body of men, painted and dressed like 
Indians, boarded the ships one night and emptied the 
tea into the harbor. 

Getting Ready for War (1774). — The Boston Tea- 
party, as it was called, occurred in December, and, from 
that time forward, the quarrel grew more and more bitter. 
To punish the Boston people, a law was passed forbidding 
ships to enter or to leave their harbor. Under this law, 
boats were not permitted to pass from one side of the 
harbor to the other, or even from one dock to another. 

Americans every-where were angry that the British 
should thus try to ruin a town and starve its people 
into submission. With its harbor closed, very little busi- 
ness could be done in Boston, and the laboring people, 
unable to procure vfork, were soon suffering ; but other 
colonies soon sent them money and food, Georgia and 
South Carolina sending ship-loads of rice. 

Marblehead and Salem promptly gave Boston the free 
use of their wharves, so that the chief result of that law 
was to embitter the people more than ever. All the 
other colonies were thoroughly aroused by this treat- 
ment of Massachusetts, and began to prepare for war. 

The "Minute Men."— Military companies were formed 



94 A PKI MARY HISTORY. 

and drilled, and the men held themselves in readiness to 
fight at a minute's warning. Hence they were called 
"minute men". One day it was reported that the British 
ships were firing on Boston. Within a few hours, thirty 
thousand men from the country around Boston were 
marching toward the town. The report was not true, but 
the promptness with which the alarm was responded to 
encouraged the American leaders to contimie resistance. 
They saw from it how ready the people were for war. In 
September of the following year (1774), a congress of all 
the colonies, except Georgia, was held in Philadelphia, 
and it was there agreed that they should unite in resist- 
ing all unjust laws and in defending themselves. 

How the War Began (1775). — The war began at 
Lexington, near Boston. G-eneral Q-age, who had been 
appointed royal governor of Massachusetts, sent a force 
from Boston, during the night, to destroy some military 
stores which the Americans had gathered at Concord. 

A young patriot, named Paul Revere, was apprised, by 
a signal light in a church steeple, that the British were 
about to start. He then set out toward Lexington on 
his famous ride. He alarmed the people of the villages 
through which he passed, and the men, taking their 
muskets with them, hurried on toAvard Lexington. At 
daylight, the next morning, many of them were found 
assembled on the green at that place. 

When Gage's soldiers arrived, the Americans were 
ordered to disperse, but they silently maintained their 
ground. Immediately the British fired upon them, killing 



THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR. 



95 



seven men. The British soldiers then marched on to 
Concord, but most of the stores liad in the meantime 
been safely removed beyond their reach. The news of 
the morning spread like wild-fire, and during the day, 
the brave '^ minute men " were rapidly collecting from 
all the neighboring country. 




THE EETREAT OF THE BRITISH FROM LEXINGTON. 



When the British started back toward Boston, they 
were shot at from behind fences, rocks, and trees, and 
from all sides. Their men fell at every step, and so 
great was their peril that General Gage found it neces- 
sary to send a large body of infantry, with artillerj^ to 



96 



A P 11 1 IVr A 11 Y II I S T () 11 Y 




GOING TO BOSTON. 



THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR. 97 

sustain them. At last, they reached the town, but all 
along the road lay three hundred of their men. 

The Rally after Lexington. — Such a glorious deed as 
this aroused the people every-Avhere throughout the col- 
onies. Farmers left their work in the fields and, going 



Yi 




THE PATRIOTS BUILDING KORTIFICATIONS AROUND BOSTON. 



home for their rifles, hastened on to the scene of danger. 
From every farm and village, brave men and boys were 
marching toward Boston. There was soon an American 
army of twenty thousand men around that city, in which 
they determined to keep the British if they could. 

Battle of Bunker Hill (1775). —The patriots built 



98 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

earth-works around Boston, and one night about twelve 
hundred of them, under Colonel Prescott, marched across 
from Cambridge to fortify Bunker Hill, which stood near 
Boston. But finding that Breed's Hill, close by, was a 
better place from which to command the town, they 
made intrenchments there. When the British, the next 
morning, discovered what had been done, Q-eneral Howe 
crossed over with three thousand men to capture the 
hill, while the ships of war in the harbor rained shot 
and shell on the devoted patriots. 

Twice the British advanced to the attack, and twice 
they were sent reeling back by the terrible fire of the 
Americans. Thej rallied for the third time, and again 
they marched up the hill. By this tim.e, the Americans 
had only one round of ammunition left, and after firing 
that in the faces of the British, they used their guns 
as clubs, and with them tried to beat them back. 

But without ammmiition, the patriots could not stand 
long before the enemy, and so they were driven, step by 
step, from their breastworks at the point of the bayonet. 
The Americans had proved, however, that they h^d the 
courage to stand against British regulars, and they fairly 
counted that quite as valuable as a victory. 

Capture of Ticonderoga (1775). — About a month be- 
fore, the Americans had gained another very important 
Adctory. Ethan Allen, with a small body of farmer boys, 
from the Green Mountains of Vermont, undertook, early 
in May, to capture the fort at Ticonderoga. The fort 
was very strong, but the Americans, by a sudden dash. 



THE K E V O L U T I O N A ]i Y WAR. 



99 



took it without the loss of a man. The place being 
full of cannon, powder, and other valuable stores much 
needed by the Americans, its capture was a great gain. 
Crown Point was taken two days later. 

Other Events of 1775. — Washington, who had been 
made commander-in-chief of the American army, went 
to Boston and took command. The army was made up of 
farmers, poorly 
clothed and 
armed, having 
very little pow- 
der, and no reg- 
ular supply of 
food. It was 
Washington's 
first duty t o 
drill the men, 
teach them how 
to fight, and get 
together stores 
of food and pow- 
der. While he 
was doing all 
this, he was 
careful to keep Howe's force closely shut up in the town, 
so that it could do nothing. 

Late in the summer, Montgomery and Arnold led two 
small armies into Canada, and laid siege to Quebec. 
After besieging the city for three weeks, it was decided 




CAPTUKE OF FORT TICONDEROGA. 



100 A PEIMARY HISTORY. 

to carry it by storm. The men fought well, but the 
place was too strong for them. Montgomery was killed 
and Arnold wounded. The army, under General Wooster, 
continued to besiege the city until spring, and then 
retreated. 

Early Events of 1776. — In the spring, Washington 
posted his army so that his guns threatened the British 
camp in Boston, and after a brief bombardment from 
Dorchester Heights, forced the enemy to leave the city. 
On the 17th of March they sailed away, and Boston Avas 
free. In June, a strong British force tried to take 
Charleston, South Carolina ; but the gallant Colonel Moul- 
trie, in a fort built of palmetto logs at the mouth of the 
harbor, gained a brilliant victory. He drove off the fleet 
on one side, and repelled a strong land force on the 
other. The British were so badly beaten that they gave 
up their attempt and sailed for New York. 

The Declaration of Independence (1776). — Thus far, 
the colonists had been fighting only for their rights as 
British subjects ; but they now resolved to set their 
country altogether free from British rule. Accordingly, 
on the 4th of July, 1776, Congress adopted the Declara- 
tion of Independence. By it they declared that the col- 
onies were colonies no lunger, but free and independent 
states. This was a very bold step, but it pleased the 
people, and gave them a new object for which to fight. 

New York taken by the British (1776). — During the 
summer, the British sent all their armies and fleets 
against New York. At first, Washington tried to defend 



THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR. 101 

the city ; but, having only seventeen thousand men, he 
could not hold out long against thirty thousand. On the 
27th of August, the British attacked the Americans on 
Long Island, and defeated them after a hard fight. But 
they did not follow up their victory, and two days later, 
during a fog, Washington, with great skill, safely with- 
drew his army to New York City. The British crossed 
over from Brooklyn to New York, whereupon Washing- 
ton moved up the Hudson. He afterward crossed to 
New Jersey, but not until he had given battle several 
times to the British and their Hessian allies. 

Washington's Retreat (17 76). — Winter had now come, 
and with it a sad time for the Americans. New York 
was in the hands of the enemy, and Washington and 
his ragged little army were fleeing across New Jersey, 
closely pursued by the British under Cornwallis. The 
whole country was in despair ; for every thing seemed 
lost. Early in December, Washington reached the Dela- 
ware River, and, seizing all the boats within his reach, 
got his army safely across just as the advance guard of 
the British made its ajppearance. He was now safe until 
the river should freeze over, when he knew that the 
British would advance on Philadelphia. 

Battle of Trenton (1776). — But Washington was not 
yet beaten. He kept quiet until Christmas. The river 
was then full of floating ice, and a flerce storm had 
begun. Nobody supposed that an army would attempt 
to move at such a time, and the Hessians at Trenton, in 
fancied security, were making merry in honor of Christ- 



102 A PRIMAEY HISTORY. 

nias. As night was falling, Washington took twenty-four 
hundred men, and with them silently crossed the river 
in spite of ice and storm. Landing on the New Jersey 
side, he fell upon the Hessians and quickly overcame 
them, taking a thousand prisoners. The Hessian com- 
mander, Colonel Rail, was mortally wounded, and died a 
few days afterward. 

Battle of Princeton (1777). — Two dajH afterward, 
Washington again crossed to New Jersey with his whole 
army and occupied Trenton. At sunset, on the 2d of 
January, Cornwallis, with a large army, attacked him. 
Night coming on, the battle was stopped. During the 
darkness Washington quietly withdrew his army, leaving 
his camp-fires lighted in order to deceive the enemy. 
He marched around Cornwallis to Princeton, where he 
defeated a British force in a severe fight. Before 
Cornwallis could overtake him, Washington's army was 
strongly posted on the heights at Morristown. By a 
series of skillful movements, Washington, early in the 
spring, forced the British to leave New Jersey and retire 
to New York. 

Philadelphia taken by the British (1777). —These 
brilliant victories revived the patriotic ardor of the 
Americans every-where ; l)ut before the close of the sum- 
mer, they suffered a great loss. The British fleet sailed 
from New York with a large army on board, and soon 
after entered Chesapeake Bay. Washington, surmising 
the object of this expedition, hurried southward with his 
little army, and met the British on the Brandy wine. 



THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR. 



103 




BATTLE OF SARATOGA. 



near Philadelphia. After a desperate fight, the Amer- 
icans were beaten, and Philadelphia was lost. In October, 
Washington attacked Germantown, opposite Philadelphia, 
but failed to drive the British from it. 



104 A PElMARY HISTORY. 

Burgoyne (burgoin') Captured (17 7 7). — Although the 
Americans had lost Philadelphia, they had won a splendid 
victory in the north. In June, Burgoyne, with a large army, 
set out from Canada to invade New York. He intended to 
get control of the Hudson River, and so cut off New 
England from the rest of the country. Crown Point, 
Ticonderoga, Fort Edward, and Whitehall fell, one after 
another, into his hands ; and for a time, he appeared to 
have every thing his own way. But the Americans, see- 
ing the danger, hurried forward to oppose him. Day by 
day, men came in from Massachusetts, Connecticut, New 
Hampshire, and New York, so that the patriot army 
constantly grew stronger. 

The American forces had fallen back slowly to Bemis' 
Heights, near Saratoga, where General Grates took com- 
mand. Burgoyne's main army had gone steadily for- 
ward ; but small bodies of his men, sent out to collect 
supplies, had been repeatedly attacked by the Amer- 
icans. In one of these fights, near Bennington, Ver- 
mont, General Stark, with his " Green Mountain boys ", 
beat the British, and took six hundred prisoners. At 
the beginning of the battle, Stark, whose wife was called 
Betty, cried out to his men, "We must beat the red- 
coats to-day, boys, or Betty Stark is a widow ! " 

At Bemis' Heights both armies threw up earth-works, 
and the British made a fierce attack on the Americans. 
But after fighting all day, they gained nothing. They lay 
still in their intrench ments for two weeks, but their food 
meanwhile, was rapidly giving out. They found, then, that 



THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR. 



106 




BATTLE OF BENNINGTON. 



they must either crush the Americans, or give up their 
plans. Making another attack, they fought desperately ; 
but the Americans, at every step, opposed them like 



106 



A PRIMARY HISTORY. 



heroes. The British and Hessians were driven back in 
confusion to Saratoga, where they were soon completely 
hemmed in by the army under G-eneral Gates. Burgoyne, 
seeing escape impossible, was now forced to surrender. 
This was a great success. Nothing that had happened 
since the war began, did so much to encourage the patriots 
and to give them conlidence in the final success of their 
cause. 




IN CAMP AT VALLEY FORGE. 



Hardships at Valley Forge (1777). — The winter which 
followed was a terrible one. Washington's army was in 
winter-quarters at Valley Forge, near Philadelphia. The 
men suffered intense hardships. They had hardly any 
clothes or blankets, and often they were compelled to walk 
through the snow barefooted, marking their trail by bloody 
foot-prints. Cold, starvation, and disease had carried off 
almost one half of Washington's men before the winter 
was over. Still the patriots meant to win. 



THE R K V O J . U T I () N A II V \V A II . 



107 



British aij^ents went aiTiong Washington's starving men 
at Valley Forge and offered them good pay, and plenty 
of food and clothes, if they would desert ; but none of 
them would listen to the shameful proposal. 

Aid from France (1778). — A number of able French 
and German officers came over from Europe to help the 
Americans ; and, in the spring, France made a treaty of 
alliance Avith the new nation 
against England, and sent out 
a large fleet of ships to assist 
in the war. These ships did 
little good; but the British gov- 
ernment became alarmed at 
this turn of affairs and tried to 
bring the war to an end. 

England offered to set aside 
all the laws to which the Amer- 
icans objected, provided they 
would lay down their arms ; but 
the latter would not now listen to any proposal of the kind. 

They had declared themselves free, and nothing but 
independence would now satisfy them. The British then 
tried to bribe American generals to betray their countr}^ 
They offered Q-eneral Joseph Reed, of Philadelphia, fifty 
thousand dollars if he would forsake his country's cause. 
General Reed sent back the noble answer, "I am not 
worth purchasing ; but, such as I am, the King of Great 
Britain is not rich enough to buy me." 

Progress of the War (1778). — When the news that 




^JNJAMIN FRANKLIN. 



108 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

the British had taken Philadelphia reached Franklin, who 
was then in France, he said : " That is not the right way 
to say it ; it is Philadelphia that has taken the British." 
It was not long before the British found that this was 
true. As long as they were there, they could do noth- 
ing, because Washington was watching them closely, and 
was ready to fall upon them, at any moment, should they 
attempt to move out of the town. 

In the summer of 1778, they saw that if their army 
stayed in Philadelphia much longer, it would be shut up, 
as Howe's army in Boston had been at the beginning of 
the war, or perhaps forced to surrender. They therefore 
abandoned that city, and retreated across New Jersey to 
New York. Washington was in close pursuit all the way, 
and captured about two thousand of their men. 

Finding that nothing could be done in the north, the 
British then sailed south, and again took Savannah. From 
that point they intended to overrun the Southern States ; 
but they were beaten at Charleston, and for a long time 
thereafter could do nothing in that section. 

Indeed, during that and the following year, there was 
little done anywhere by either side. G-eneral Wayne, who 
was called "Mad Anthony", made a brilliant dash and 
captured a British fort at Stony Point, on the Hudson 
River. Paul Jones fought a desperate battle on the 
sea. In September, his ship, the Bon Homme Richard 
(bo nom' pee shar'), fell in with the British ship Serapis. 
Jones lashed the two vessels together, and fought the 
British hand to hand. His ship was so badly disabled 



THE R E V O L U T I O N A K Y W A II . 



109 



that it was sinking under hiiu ; but nevertheless he con- 
tinued to figlit until the Serapis surrendered. He then 
sailed away on the captured vessel, leaving his own to sink. 
The captain of the Serapis fought with so much 
braverv that, althoug:h he lost his ship, the British made 




CAPTURE OF STONY POINT, 



him a knight. When somebody told Paul Jones of this, 
he said : " Well, he deserved the honor ; and if I meet 
him in his new ship, I'll make a lord of him." 

The Treason of Arnold (1780). — The war was now 
carried on mainly in the south. But while neither side 
did much fighting at the north, the British resorted to 
another plan to compass the ruin of the patriot cause. 



110 



A PRIMARY H 1 S 1^ O R ^' 



General Benedict Arnold, who had performed many 
brave deeds in the war, was then in command at West 
Point, the most important post on the Hudson River. 
Some time before, he had been reproved by Washington 
for misconduct, and was very angry. The British sent 
agents to him, with whom he conspired to surrender 
West Point, provided they would give him a large sum 

of money and a high position 
in their army. 

The bargain was made ; but 
the Americans fortunately capt- 
ured the British agent, Major 
Andre, as he was returning in 
disguise to New York, and so 
discovered the treasonable plot. 
Arnold at once fled and joined 
the British, and Andre was 
condemned and hung as a spy. 
,,,^,^,. Arnold afterward fought 

against his country, but he 
was forever disgraced ; for even the British, who had 
bribed him, despised and openly insulted him. 

The War in the South. — During this year, the British 
captured Charleston after a siege of forty days, and then 
rapidly overran South Carolina. There was at first no 
regular force to oppose them, the patriot army under 
General Lincoln having surrendered at Charleston. But 
the men of South Carolina were brave, and eager to 
share in the fight for freedom. 




THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR. 



Ill 



Marion, Pickens, Sumter, and other daring men, of 
that State, enlisted companies of their neighbors, and 
gave the British a great deal of trouble. They would 







t/Cape Fear. ..^ 



^» Monk's^i lVin//aw Bay 
'Corne- ' 



V 



K^Sea, 



>CJiarleston ^V 

^ ^r.MO.ULTRlE 



^^fe 



•bur;<i' 



. Savau\iah*=V. £iUi-ance 
Ft.s'udburyA i7 



'' ^nht 



y 



MAP TO ILLUSTRATE 

THE CA3IPAIG]Sr 

IN 

THE SOUTH. 



retreat to the swamps whenever a strong force pursued 
them ; but if a wagon train was left unguarded, or a 
small body of British soldiers became separated from the 
main army, these bold leaders, emerging from their am- 



112 A PRIMAKY HISTORY. 

bush, would suddenly fall upon and destroy them. This 
kind of warfare was kept up constantly, and the British, 
even with their strong force, could never feel entirely 
safe in the country. 

In August, 1780, G-eneral Gates, having raised an 
army, met the British in regular battle near Camden, 
South Carolina. He was beaten, however, and his army 
scattered. Every thing now depended upon the " Parti- 
sans ", as the men under Marion, Sumter, Pickens, and 
" Light-horse Harry Lee " were called. They kept on 
fighting in their own way, giving the British no rest. 

Greene's Campaign in the South (1781). — General 
Greene was sent south to succeed General Gates. He 
collected a small army, and fought the British under 
Cornwallis at every opportunity. In January, part of 
Greene's army, under General Morgan, beat Tarleton at 
Cowpens ; but when Cornwallis advanced with his whole 
army against Greene, the latter retreated. He managed 
so well to elude his pursuers, that he kept Cornwallis 
and his army marching about in the swamps for weeks, 
till they were fairly worn out. 

At Guilford Court House, in March, Greene faced Corn- 
wallis, and gave him battle. After a hard fight, Greene 
again retreated ; but the British were so badly hurt in 
the encounter that Cornwallis said, "Another such victory 
would ruin us." Cornwallis could not follow Greene, and 
dared not risk another fight, so he returned to Wilming- 
ton, North Carolina. 

Greene at once went into South Carolina, and cleared 



THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR. 



113 



all that part of the country of British. He fought a 
battle at Eutaw Springs in September. After that fight, 
the British returned to Charleston, leaving Greene master 
of the whole southern country. 

Siege of Yorktown (1781).— Arnold, the traitor, was at 
that time in Virginia, at the head of a British army. He 
carried on the war in a most savage manner, burning 
houses and barns, and robbing 
the people. 

Washington sent the young 
French Greneral, La Fayette, to 
Virginia to watch Arnold ; but 
his force being small, Arnold 
continued unmolested his un- 
manly warfare, burning and 
robbing as before. 

The British now decided to 
send re-enforcements f roixi New 
York into Virginia ; but Wash- 
ington prevented this by his 
shrewdness. He threatened 
the city by planting guns, and doing other things to make 
the British think he was about to attack New York. 
They Avere, therefore, afraid to send away any of their 
men. But Cornwallis was ordered to go with his army 
from North Carolina into Virginia and relieve Arnold. 

When Cornwallis reached Virginia, he took command 
in person, making his head-quarters at Yorktown. There 
he threw up extensive earth-works, and waited for Gen- 




MAKQUIS DE LA FAYETTE. 



114 



A PRIMARY HISTORY. 



eral Clinton to send him the promised assistance from 
New York. 

Washington now saw his chance to end the war. He 
again inade a pretense of getting ready to attack New 
York, till the British expected him, at any hour, to open 



iik^^ 






%f 




STORMING A FORT AT YORKTOWN. 



fire on the city. Leaving a small force behind him to 
keep up this idea, he hurried to Virginia with the main 
body of his army. Cornwallis was soon shut up in York- 
town. A French fleet sailed into York River at the same 
time, to keep off any British ships that might try to re- 
enforce hirifi. With heavy cannon, Washington began to 



THE IIEVOLUTIONAIIY WAR. 115 

batter down Cornwaliis' defenses. Day by day he slowly 
drew his lines closer round the British camp. 

In a charge upon two of the outer forts, the French 
gallantly fought their way into one, and the Americans 
into the other. This pushed the British into very close 
quarters ; and, at last, Cornwaliis, finding that he could 
hold out no longer, decided to surrender. On the 19th 
of October, the whole army marched out of their intrench- 
ments and laid down their arms. 

The End of the War (1781).— This brought to an 
end the fight for American independence. The treaty 
of peace between England and the United States was not 
signed until nearly two years afterward ; but the British 
made no further efforts to carry on the war. 

The news of this splendid victory set the countr\^ wild. 
The watchmen in the streets at night shouted the good 
news at the top of their voices. Bells were rung, bonfires 
lighted, streets illuminated, and people in their ecstasy 
even wept for joy. The old door-keeper of Congress died 
of joy on hearing that his country Avas at last free. 

People wanted to make Washington king, and he had 
to use all his influence to quiet them. As soon as the 
treaty was signed, the British gave up the cities which 
they still held, and the new nation began its life of inde- 
pendence. The soldiers, on being disbanded, went home 
quietly to their farms and their shops. 

Washington, after bidding farewell to his officers, re- 
turned to his home at Mount Vernon, in Virginia, to live 
as a private citizen of the country he had saved, fie 



116 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

not only would not become king, but lie would not even 
take pay for his great services. It was enough for him 
to know that his country was free and independent, 

QUESTIONS. 

1. AVTiat had the colonists done in the French and Indian War? Where did 

new settlements soon spring up? What obstacle to the development of 
the country arose soon after? In what ways were the colonists wronged? 

2. What was the IsTavigation Act? — Act Restricting Foreign Trade? How did 

the Enghsh regard the colonies? How were their unjust measures 
enforced ? How did the French and Indian AVar train the colonists ? 

3. What was the origin of trouble with England? Tell about the Stamp Act;— 

Sons of Liberty ;— Mutiny Act ;— Boston Massacre ;— Tea Tax ;— Boston Tea 
Party ;— closing the port of Boston ;— preparations for war. 

4. "WTio were the "Minute Men"? How did the war begin? Gi-ive an account of 

the battle of Lexington ;— rally after Lexington ;— battle of Bunker Hill ; — 
capture of Ticonderoga. How did the expedition against Canada result? 

5. When did the British leave Boston? "When was the Declaration of Inde- 

pendence adopted? How was New York taken by the British? Give an 
account of Washington's retreat ;— the battle of Trenton. 

6. When was the battle of Princeton fought? l\Tiat was the result of Wash- 

ington's campaign? What was the object of Burgoyne's expedition ? Give 
an account of the battles of Saratoga; — Burgojiie's surrender. Describe 
the hardships at Valley Forge. 

7. "When did France aid the colonies? Wliat offer did England then make? 

Why did the British leave Philadelphia ? Tell about the war at the South. 
Who captured Stony Point? Tell about the capture of the Serapis. 

8. Tell the story of Arnold's treason. Give an account of the battle of Camden. 

9. What battle did General Greene fight in South Carolina?— in North Carolina? 

What was the final result of his campaigns? 
10. Give an account of the siege of Yorktown. "Wlien did Cornwallis surrender? 
Wliat was the effect of this victory? When was the treaty of peace 
signed? AVhat events followed the close of the war? 

FOR READING OR RECITATION. 

Paul Revere's i?Me.— Longfellow. The Baffle of Eufair.—Siuus. 

Lexington.-— H.01MES. The Hangers.— Wkitti^b. 

Concord.— A. B. Street. Under the Old ii7w2.— Lowell. 

Song of Mario fi\i Men.— 'Bryant. 






^if 




The State of the Country.— 

The war for independence was 
over. England made a treaty 
in 1783, giving up all claim to 
the colonies, and the country 
was free. But there was yet 
much to be done ; there were 
still many dangers to be met and difficulties to be over- 
come before the new nation could take a place among 
the nations of the world. 

In the first place, the country had no real govern- 
ment. There were thirteen separate and independent 
States, each free to do as it pleased. Each State claimed 
for itself the right to coin money, to lay duties on for- 
eign goods, to levy taxes, and to raise and equip its own 
army. There was a loose kind of union between them, 
which did not amount to a good general government, be- 
cause it had few of the powers belonging to a government. 



118 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

Congress could not enforce tax laws, nor coin money, nor 
do any thing except advise the States ; and the States 
could take the advice or neglect it, just as they pleased. 

The weak States were afraid of the strong ones, and 
the strong ones were jealous of each other. Each State 
made laws for itself, and these laws sometimes stood in 
the way of trade between different parts of the country. 
The States were in a fair way to quarrel among them- 
selves, and even to get into wars with one another, which 
would have been worse for them than any foreign war 
could have been. 

It soon became evident that this would not do. There 
was an enormous public debt to be paid, and no money 
with which to pay it. The trade of the country was 
broken up, and the people were consequently poor. If 
Congress made treaties with foreign nations, it could not 
compel the States to accept or obey them. Foreign coun- 
tries, therefore, would not make treaties under such cir- 
cumstances. 

The first Effort toward Union (1786). — Virginia took 
the lead in trying to remedy these troubles. In 1786, 
under the influence of James Madison, she invited the 
other States to meet her in convention to devise some 
plan for general trading purposes. Only five States sent 
delegates, but these delegates acted very wisely. Instead 
of trying to invent a plan themselves, they asked Con- 
gress to call a convention of all the States to adopt a 
stronger and better form of government for the whole 
country. Congress acted upon this advice, and called a 



FORMATION OF THE GOVERNMENT. 119 

convention, which met at the State House in Philadel- 
phia in 1787. Washington was its president, and all the 
States except Rhode Island sent delegates. 

Political Parties (1787). — There were two parties in 
the convention and among the people. One party wanted 
to do away with separate State governments altogether, 
and make one solid nation of the whole country. The 
other party was afraid that such a government would 
become tyrannical. These men were willing to form a 
union of the States ; but they would give the general 
government just as little power as possible, lea^ving the 
control of nearly every thing to the separate States. 

The Constitution (1787). — After four months of de- 
bate, the convention agreed upon a constitution, although 
it was not exactly what either party wanted. Under this 
constitution, each State was left free to make its own 
laws, and to manage its own internal affairs as it pleased, 
while to the general government was given the power to 
manage all matters that affected the country at large. 

The general government was to control and provide 
for an army and navy, make all treaties with other coun- 
tries, manage the post-offices, coin the money, regulate 
commerce, impose taxes, and make such laws as con- 
cerned the liberty and welfare of the people of the whole 
country. This is the Constitution under which we still 
live, although, as we shall see further on, some changes 
have, from time to time, been made in it. 

Formation of the Government (1788). — Ten of the 
States promptly accepted the Constitution, and the other 



120 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

three did so within a few years. In this way, our country 
was formed into a great repubhc. It w^as not then, we 
mnst remember, nearly so large as it is now. There were 
less than four millions of people, and they lived in a 
narrow strip of country along the Atlantic coast. West 
of the Alleghany Mountains, the country was wild, with 
only an occasional settlement. The United States owned 
the land only to the Mississippi River, while Spain owned 
Florida and the vast country west of the Mississippi. 



WASHING-TON'S ADMINISTRATION. 

(TWO TERMS— 1789-1797.) 

The First President (1789). — Washington was chosen 
as the first President. He did not wish to leave his home 
again and engage in public affairs ; but the country, as 
we have seen, was in a bad condition, and needed the 
services of its wisest and ablest man. The people were 
still poor, many of them did not take kindly to the new 
plan of government, and it needed the magic of Wash- 
ington's name to make them contented with it. They 
knew that they could trust him. 

There were treaties to be made, money to be raised, 
and a thousand other important things to be done, which 
could only be done by wise men whom the people loved 
and trusted ; and they loved no other man as they loved 
Washington. 

On his way to New York City, which was then the 
capital of the country, he was met by the people every- 



WASHINGTON'S ADMINISTRATION. 



121 



where with shouts and songs of joy. Women and girls 
scattered flowers before him ; men threw their hats in 
the air and cheered as he passed. The streets of the 
towns through which he journeyed were crowded with 
those who came out to welcome him. No other man in 




HAMILTON. 



WASHINGTON. 



JEFFKKSON. 



the country could have done so much to make the new 
government popular. 

The Work of the Administration. — Washington chose 
the wisest men in the Union as his advisers, among 
whom were Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton, 
two of the ablest men of the time, and, with their aid, 
set about the work of bringing prosperity to the nation. 



122 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

The first thing to be done was to raise money; and, at 
the suggestion of Hamilton, a wise plan was adopted for 
that purpose. 

A great many people thought they ought not to be 
taxed. In Western Pennsylvania a mob tried to keep 
the government from collecting the tax on whiskey ; 
but Washington called out 15,000 militia from other 
States, and soon taught those men that the government of 
the United States was strong enough to enforce its laws. 
After that, there was no further trouble in raising money. 

Foreign Affairs. — Another thing to be done was to 
make treaties with foreign countries. Spain at first re- 
fused to let American ships pass through the Mississippi 
River to the ocean ; but by wise measures, that country 
was persuaded to make a treaty giving the young na- 
tion the free use of that river. There was trouble, too, 
about a treaty which was made with England, to settle 
many matters that were still in dispute between the 
two countries. Many good citizens thought the treaty 
was very unfair, and blamed the government for mak- 
ing it. They grew very angry, and made bitter speeches ; 
but the treaty, nevertheless, went into effect. 

Political Parties. — France had now set up a republic 
instead of her old kingdom ; but in effecting this change, 
the French people had become wild with excitement, and 
had done many things that were wrong and dangerous. 
They put a great number of people to death, and 
made many bad and foolish laws. 

England was then at war with France. Many Amer- 



WASHINGTON'S ADMINISTRATION. 123 

icans sympathized with the French, and wanted the 
United States to espouse their cause, because the French 
had helped the colonists in the Revolution, and because 
France was a republic. But others were afraid that if 
allied to France, the young republic would grow to be 
like the French one. They wanted our government to 
be more like that of England, as likely to be more stable 
and enduring. 

At this time the people were divided into two parties. 
Those who liked the French ideas were called Repub- 
hcans at first, and then Democrats. The others were 
called Federalists. Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Adams, 
and James Madison were the leaders of the Republicans ; 
Alexander Hamilton and John Adams of the Federalists. 
The Federalists wanted to make the general government 
as strong as they could under the Constitution, while 
the Republicans, jealous of a central power, wished to 
limit its authority as much as possible. 

The Republicans were afraid the general government 
would become too strong and interfere with the States ; 
the Federalists feared the government would not have 
power enough to enforce its own laws and to rule the 
country safely. So when Washington had served for 
two terms as President, and refused to be elected again, 
the two parties waged a bitter contest over the election 
of a new President. The Federalists desired to elect 
John Adams, while the Republicans favored Thomas 
Jefferson. The country was quite evenly divided, but 
Adams was chosen by a majority of two electoral votes. 



124 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

JOHN ADAMS' ADMINISTRATION. 

(OjSTE TERM— 1797-1801.) 

Condition of the Country (1797). — There were now 
sixteen States in the Union, Vermont having been ad- 
mitted in 1791, Kentucky in 1792, and Tennessee in 
1796. The Indians in the North-west, who had caused 
much trouble, had been conquered and quieted, and the 
people began to grow prosperous. 

But there was great excitement throughout the land 
over affairs in France. The French rulers made a great 
deal of trouble for this country. They tried to fit out 
war ships here to serve against the British, and their 
agents did all they could to stir up discontent among 
the people. Washington sent home the French minister 
for meddling with American affairs, and took special 
pains to show other nations that the United States in- 
tended to keep out of all foreign quarrels. 

The Quarrel with France. — The difficulty with France 
continued to grow after Adams became President. He 
sent Charles C. Pinckney as American minister to that 
country, but the French government refused to receive 
him. The officers of that government hinted to Pinckney 
that he might bribe them with money to receive him. 

This was an insult to the United States, and Pinck- 
ney resented the proposal with indignation. "Millions 
for defense," he said, " but not a cent for tribute " ; and 
when the news of the affair reached America, every- 



JOHN AJJAMS' ADMINISTRATION. 125 

body applauded the saying and it became a by-word 
among the people. 

The country now began to get ready for war. Ships 
were sent out, new taxes were levied, an army was 
raised, and Washington was again called into service as 
commander-in-chief. Several battles took place at sea ; 
but before the quarrel could develop into a serious war, 
Napoleon became the ruler of France and put a stop to 
the trouble. 

The Alien and Sedition Laws (1798). — During this 
period of excitement, Congress passed two laws which 
greatly offended the majority of the people. One of 
these laws gave the President power to send foreigners 
out of the country whenever he thought best to do so ; 
and under the other, anybody who should write harsh 
things about the President or Congress might be fined 
and imprisoned. 

These laws were very unpopular, because they were 
contrary to the spirit of American liberty, and many 
persons who had before voted for Adams, now went over 
to the Republicans. When, therefore, the time came to 
elect a President again, Adams, who was supposed to 
have suggested these obnoxious laws, was put aside. 

There were so many candidates before the people that 
no one of them secured a majority of the electoral votes, 
so that, according to the Constitution, the House of 
Representatives had to choose a President. Thomas 
Jefferson, who had been Vice-President during Adams' 
administration, Avas finally chosen. 



126 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

JEFFERSON'S ADMINISTRATION. 

(TWO TERMS— 1801-1809.) 

The War with Tripoli (1801). — Some of the most 
important events in the history of onr country happened 
during Jefferson's two busy terms. 

There were several half-savage states in the northern 
part of Africa called the Barbar}" States. The people of 
these states, instead of following peaceful occupations, 
lived by sending out pirate ships to capture the vessels 
of other nations. They not only took the ships and 
cargoes, but they made slaves of those on board ; and 
when a man fell into their hands, he found himself in 
slavery for life, unless ransomed by his friends. 

Many Americans were taken in this way, and at last, 
during Washington's administration, a treaty was made 
with the piratical states. By this treaty the United 
States agreed to pay them a large sum of money at 
once, and a smaller sum every year, provided the pirates 
would cease molesting American ships. 

The people of Tripoli, one of the piratical states, did 
not keep their part of the bargain, and almost as soon 
as Jefferson became President, he resolved to take a 
decided stand in the matter. He maintained that it was 
wrong for the United States to pay tribute to any nation 
or people. Instead of bribing the pirates to let Amer- 
icans alone, he said we ought to make them behave 
properly, and punish them when they seized our ships 
or people. The haughty Bashaw (basha^?v') of Tripoli, 



JEFFERSON'S ADMINISTRAl^ION. 127 

no longer receiving the customary tribute, declared war 
against the United States. 

The country had at that time only six war ships, but 
Jefferson at once sent four of them against the pirates. 
One of these ships, the frigate Philadelphia, ran aground 
in the harbor of Tripoli, and was captured. A gallant 
young officer, Lieutenant Decatur, determined that the 
pirates should not be permitted to retain her. 

He took a small crew of American sailors on board a 
little vessel, sailed into the harbor of Tripoli, boarded the 
ship in a hand-to-hand fight, and threw the pirate crew 
into the water. 

As the Philadelphia was aground, he could not sail 
away with her ; but he set her on fire and in the face of 
a furious cannonading from the forts all around him 
sailed out of the harbor unharmed. This was a very 
heroic deed. 

The war began in 1801, and by 1805 Tripoli was so 
badly punished that the Bashaw was only too glad to 
sue for peace. He had learned that the United States 
was a nation not to be trifled with. 

The Louisiana Purchase (1803). — One of the greatest 
events in the history of our country took place early in 
Jefferson's first term as President. Before that time, the 
United States owned the country only as far west as the 
Mississippi. At the close of the French and Indian War, 
Spain, as you know, acquired the French territory beyond 
the Mississippi River, known as the province of Louisiana ; 
but by a secret treaty with France she afterward gave it 



128 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

back to the French. In 1803, President Jefferson bought 
Louisiana from France, for fifteen millions of dollars. 

Louisiana was a vast region, as large as the whole of 
what had been the United States before that time, as 
you will see by looking at the map. It included what 
we now call Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Nebraska, 
Iowa, Minnesota, Indian Territory, Dakota, Montana, 
Idaho, Oregon, and Washington Territory, together with 
most of Kansas, nearly all of Wyoming Territory, and a 
part of Colorado. 

If Congress had not authorized the purchase of that 
great territory from France, the French would doubtless 
have planted colonies there, and in time another strong 
nation would have grown up side by side with us. The 
Mississippi River would always have been a matter to 
dispute and quarrel over. The United States would then 
have been compelled to maintain a large standing army 
for defense, as foreign countries do, and instead of be- 
coming a great, peaceful republic, without a rival on the 
continent, it would have been only one of two or three 
nations, which would have had many costly wars with 
each other. Our country would probably never have be- 
come the Great Republic, if Louisiana had not been thus 
acquired. 

The Slave Trade (1807). — For nearly two hundred 
years slavery had been steadily growing in this country. 
When Jefferson became President, negro slavery existed 
in nearly all the States, and ships Avere yearly bringing 
slaves in vast numbers from Africa. Under the Constitu- 



JEFFERSON'S ADMINISTRATION. 129 

tion, nothing could be done to restrict the slave trade 
until 1808 ; but after that time Congress was at liberty 
to consider the matter. 

President Jefferson was strongly opposed to slavery. 
He considered it a great wrong, and believed that it was 
bad for the country. In 1807, he addressed a message 
to Congress, saying that the time was at hand when the 
slave trade could be legally stopped, and urged Congress 
to make a law against bringing any more slaves to this 
country. Congress debated the question for a time, and 
at last passed the law which Jefferson suggested, for- 
bidding the introduction of slaves into the United States 
after January 1, 1808. 

The Quarrel with England. — The country had much 
trouble with England during Jefferson's administration. 
The English government claimed the right to intercept 
American ships at sea, and to take from them any 
native-born Englishmen who might be on board as 
sailors, even though they had become American citizens. 

In one case a British ship fired on one of our ships 
and searched her by force. This would have led to war 
at once, had not the English government made an 
apology. England, however, still persisted in claiming 
the right to search American vessels, and the dispute 
over this subject led to a war a few years later, as we 
shall see. 

The Embargo Act (1807).— England and France being 
at war with each other, each wanted to ruin the com- 
merce of the other. The English declared that no ships 



130 



A PRIMAKY HISTORY. 



of any nation should carry on trade with France, and 
France made a similar declaration against trading with 
England. The United States had nothing to do with the 
war, and American ships were doing a large business with 
both countries. 

These orders, therefore, nearly ruined the trade of the 
country. If American vessels sailed for England, French 
ships would capture them ; and if they tried to trade 

with France, it was at the risk 
of capture by English cruisers. 
American commerce was there- 
fore at the mercy of both nations. 
Finally Congress put an embargo 
on all our commerce ; that is to 
say, no American ships were per- 
mitted to leave port at all. ' This 
measure was ridiculed at the time 
as the " O grab me " act. 
This was done to force the English and French, who 
needed American products, to change their plans and let 
us trade in peace ; but while it injured them, it also 
broke up the little business that was left, and ruined 
thousands of our merchants. 

The Federalists blamed Jefferson for all the injury done 
to business by the embargo, and on that issue hoped to 
elect a Federalist for the next President. But the Re- 
publicans thought England was to blame, and wanted to 
fight that country. Indeed, a large majority of the Amer- 
ican people were clamorous for war, and so, when th^ 




rULTON'9 STEAM-BOAT. 



MADISON'S ADMINISTRATION. 131 

time for election came around, tliey chose James Madison, 
a Republican, for President. 

New State. — One new State, Ohio, was admitted to the 
Union (1802) during Jefferson's administration. 

Introduction of Steam-boats. — It was during Jefferson's 
administration, in 1807, that Robert Fulton ran his first 
steam-boat, " The Clermont," on the Hudson River. Within 
a few years thereafter steam-boats were plying on all our 
navigable rivers. 

MADISON'S ADMINISTRATION. 

(TWO TERMS- 1809-1817.) 

War with England (1812). — President Madison did 
every thing within his power to maintain peace with 
England, but the ill-feeling between the two countries 
only continued to increase. British ships kept searching 
American vessels on the high seas, and carrying away 
American seamen to serve on English war ships, while 
British emissaries from Canada were sending arms to the 
Indians in the North-west, and inciting them to make war 
against the United States. 

General Harrison met and defeated the Indians, under 
the great chief Tecum'seh, at the battle of Tippecanoe', 
in 1811 ; and in 1812, the British outrages had reached 
such a x^oint that the country could stand them no 
longer. War was accordingly declared against England. 

Opposition to the War. — The Federalists opposed the 
war very bitterly, both before it began and while it 



182 



A PRIMARY HISTORY. 



lasted. But their unpatriotic course offended the people 
generally ; and by the time that the war was over, the 
Federal party had become badly disorganized. 

General Hull's Surrender (1812). — When war was de- 
clared, two armies were sent to iuA^ade Canada, but they 




had no success. One of them, under G-eneral William 
Hull, soon fell back to Detroit without striking a blow. 
When the British, following after him, appeared before 
Detroit, Hull became scared and surrendered his army, 
and with it the whole of Michigan. The American 
officers were very angry that no resistance was made, 
and the soldiers, who were eager to fight, wept at the 



MADISON'S ADMINISTRATION. 



laa 



disgrace ; but, as good soldiers, they had to obey, 
even though they knew that their commander was a 
coward. Hull was afterward tried for cowardice and 
condemned to be shot ; but the President, in the ex- 
ercise of his mercy, spared his life. The other army 




BATTLE BETWEEN THE GUERRIERE AND THE CONSTITUTION. 



fought bravely at Queenstown Heights, but was ulti- 
mately captured. 

The War on the Water (1812).— While the Americans 
were thus defeated on land, they won some brilliant vic- 
tories at sea. Three days after Q-eneral Hull had disgraced 
himself at Detroit, his nephew, Captain Isaac Hull, in 



134: A PKIMAEY HISTOEY. 

the ship Constitution, met the British war ship Guerriere 
(ger i er') off the Banks of Newfoundland. For two 
hours they fought desperately, when the British flag was 
hauled down. The Guerriere was so completely riddled 
in the fight that, when Captain Hull boarded her, she 
was sinking, and he could not tow her into harbor. 

This was the beginning of a long series of sea-fights 
that followed, in which the American navy won its glory. 
The old ship Constitution, or " Old Ironsides ", as the 
sailors affectionately call her, is still afloat. 

Invasion of Canada (1813). — The next year, three 
armies were sent to invade Canada at three different 
points. Two of them did nothing, and the third, under 
General Harrison, found all it could do in defending itself 
from British attacks. The British still held Michigan, and 
as they were now masters of the lakes, it was feared they 
would land an army in Ohio and overrun that State also. 

Perry's Victory on Lake Erie (1813). — But a young 
naval officer, Captain Oliver H. Perry, had in the mean- 
time been sent to Lake Erie to see what could be done. 
This young man had never been in a battle, but he was 
brave, resolute, and full of energy. He went to work 
with his men, cut down trees, hewed them into shape, 
and built a fleet of small ships. 

When this was done, he put guns and men aboard, 
and sailed out upon the lake. There he met the British 
squadron on the 10th of September, 1813, and at once 
offered battle. Perry's flag-ship, the Lawrence, engaged 
two of the British ships at once, until she was riddled 



MADISON'S ADMINISTRATION. 135 

with shot, and had but eight men left to manage her. 
Then Perry, bearing his flag away, rowed in an open boat 
to another of his ships called the Niagara. He was com- 
pelled to pass close under the guns of the British, who 
fired great broadsides at his boat; but he reached the 
decks of the Niagara in safety and renewed the fight as 
fiercely as before. 

In fifteen minutes more, the British were beaten and 
the whole squadron surrendered. Perry went back to the 
sinking Lawrence to receive the swords of the British 
officers on her deck, after which he sent his celebrated 
dispatch to General Harrison, '' We have met the enemy, 
and they are ours." 

Battle of the Thames (1813). — As soon as General 
Harrison received Perry's dispatch, he resolved to push 
across the lake and carry the war into Canada. The 
enemy retreated before him, but he followed closely on 
their heels, and came up with them on the River Thames 
(temz). He at once attacked them, broke their line, 
and, after infiicting a considerable loss, forced them to 
surrender. Led by Tecumseh, the Indians who were 
then with the British kept up the fight until their leader 
was killed, when they scattered and ran in confusion to 
the shelter of the woods. Michigan was now redeemed. 

The Creek War (1814). — To add to the troubles of 
the United States, Tecumseh had persuaded the Creek 
Indians in Alabama to make war on the whites. Under 
their skillful leader, Weath' er ford or Red Eagle, they 
were for a long time successful, and spread terror through 



186 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

the South. Finally, m 1814, General Andrew Jackson, 
with an army of volunteers from Georgia, Tennessee, 
and Mississippi, defeated Red Eagle in a great battle, 
and put an end to the trouble with the Creeks. 

In July, 1814, General Winfield Scott won two brill- 
iant victories over the British in Canada, one at Chip- 
pewa (chip'peAA^a) and the other at Lundy's Lane. These 
victories greatly cheered the Americans; but as they 
could not be followed up, they otherwise did little good. 

In August, a British force marched into Washington 
City and ruthlessly burned the capitol and other public 
buildings, together with many private houses. 

Battle of Lake Champlain (1814). — In September, the 
British sent an army of 12,000 men from Canada to 
capture Plattsburg, on Lake Champlain, and at the same 
time a strong fleet sailed up the lake. The English plan 
was to take Plattsburg, clear the lake, and push down 
along the Hudson River in order to sever New England 
from the rest of the country. This 3^ou remember is ex- 
actly what Burgoyne tried to do in the Revolution, but 
the plan failed this time as it had done before. 

There was at the time a force of only 1,500 Ameri- 
cans at Plattsburg, but they stood their ground and kept 
the British in check. An American fleet, under Com- 
luodore McDonough (i-nak don' oh), sailed down the lake, 
fell upon the British ships and soon destroyed them. As 
soon as the British bef(^re Plattsburg learned of this, 
they broke up their camp and hurried back to Canada, 
without stopping to save even their sick and wounded. 



MADISON'S ADMINISTRATION. 



137 



Battle of New Orleans. — The Americans had suffered 
many reverses durmg 1814, but toward the end of that 
year they were threatened with a greater disaster. A 
powerful British army in a large fleet of vessels sailed 




BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS. 



in December from Pensacola, Florida, for the purpose of 
taking New Orleans. The British knew that if they 
secured control of that city they could easily proceed up 
the Mississippi River and possess the whole western 
country. There was no American army at New Orleans, 
and not much chance to form one in time to meet this 
unlooked-for attack. 



138 A PRIMAEY HISTORY. 

General Andrew Jackson hurried to the city from 
Florida, ordered forward all the troops that were within 
reach, and turned the citizens into soldiers. This in- 
trepid soldier determined to resist the advance of the 
enemy, although he had only a handful of men, most of 
whom had never seen a battle. 

He erected forts on the river to repel the British 
ships ; but the forts proved useless, for the ships took 
another direction. There are lakes just behind New 
Orleans which lead into the sea by other channels, and 
the British ran their ships up into one of these lakes. 
After a fight on the lake, they landed and marched 
across to the river, a few miles below the town. 

Jackson started out at once and fought them in the 
dark on the night of their arrival. The battle lasted two 
hours, when, finding that he could do no more, he fell 
back a short distance and threw up a line of earth-works. 

On January 8th, 1815, the British made their grand 
attack. Their soldiers were the flower of the British 
army, and being used to hard fighting on the battle- 
fields of Europe, they did not expect to have much 
trouble with Jackson's raw recruits. But Avhen they 
came under the deadly fire of the Tennessee and Ken- 
tucky back-woodsmen, they wavered and fell back. 
Again and again the British rushed headlong at the 
American line, and each time were driven back by the 
unerring fire of the riflemen. Their commander, General 
Pak'en ham, was killed, and two thousand of his men fell 
before Jackson's line of earth-works. They then gave up 



MADISON'S ADMINISTRATION. ISO 

the attempt and returned to their ships a badly beaten 
army. 

Peace Declared (1814).— This was the last battle of 
the war. A treaty of peace had been signed a short 
time before the battle was fought, but the news had not 
reached America. 

It is a curious fact that the treaty said nothing at all 
about the right, claimed by the British, of searching Amer- 
ican ships, the very point about which the war was fought. 
But England has never since claimed that right, and for 
nearly seventy years the two nations have lived in peace 
with each other. Indeed, they have in recent years be- 
come the best of friends, as it is right that two countries 
so nearly akin, and speaking the same language, should be. 

Punishing the Pirates (1815). — While this war was in 
progress the piratical states in Northern Africa thought 
they might safely defy the American power, and began 
again to seize American ships. Commander Decatur 
sailed against them with a fleet, captured their ships, 
entered their harbors, bombarded their towns, and forced 
them to set free Americans held as captives. From that 
time to this we have had no trouble with those states. 

Politics. — The Federal party was now broken up. It 
had opposed the war with so much bitterness that many 
people thought its leaders were traitors, ready to side 
with the British against their own country. Nearly all 
who had been Federalists had now become Republicans, 
and when the time for a new election came around, 
James Monroe, a Republican, was chosen President almost 



140 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

without opposition. Four years later, he was re-elected 
by the votes of all the States. 

New States. — Two new States had been admitted into 
the Union during Madison's administration — Louisiana, 
in 1812, and Indiana, in 1816. 



MONROE'S ADMINISTRATION. 

(TWO TERMS— 1817-1825.) 

The Era of Good Feeling. — The time covered by 
Monroe's administration was called the " era of good 
feeling", because there was no longer any difference in 
party politics, and the people were prosperous and happy. 
Monroe had been the almost universal choice for Presi- 
dent. The country was rapidly filling up with people, 
business was good, towns were growing, new States were 
coming into the Union, and there was no prospect of 
war with any other nation. 

The Missouri Compromise (1820). — Slavery had gradu- 
ally been dying out at the North, because free labor had 
been found more profitable there than slave labor; but 
in the South, where the climate is extremely warm, 
negroes were found to be necessary in raising tobacco, 
cotton, rice, and other crops, therefore, in that section, 
slavery had grown stronger than ever. 

When Missouri applied for admission to the Union as 
a slave State, a great dispute arose about it in Congress. 
Many people in the South contended that there ought to 
be a new slave State for every new free State, so that 



MONROE'S ADMINISTRATION. 141 

the North and the South should have equal representa- 
tion in the United States Senate. 

The quarrel became very bitter, but was settled at 
last by Henry Clay, who persuaded both sides to agree 
to what was called the Missouri Compromise. This pro- 
vided that Missouri should be admitted as a slave State ; 
but that no more slave States should be made out of 
that part of the Louisiana Purchase lying north of the 
southern boundary line of Missouri. South of that line, 
the new States might have slaves if they chose. 

Florida.— There had been a good deal of trouble with 
Spain about Florida, and finally the matter was settled, 
in 1819, by a treaty, under which that territory became 
part of the United States by purchase. 

New States. — Five new States came into the Union 
during Monroe's time, as follows : Mississippi, in 1817; 
Illinois, in 1818 ; Alabama, in 1819 ; Maine, in 1820 ; 
and Missouri, in 1821. 

Politics. — While the spirit of good feeling continued 
to prevail for a long time after Monroe became Presi- 
dent, the people could not, of course, go on forever think- 
ing alike in politics. New interests arose, new questions 
came up, and so the people again arranged themselves 
in two opposing parties. The new Whig party wanted to 
keep up a great United States Bank; the Republicans, 
who were now called Democrats, thought such a bank, 
with its vast power and influence, dangerous to the lib- 
erties of the people. 

The Whigs wanted the national government to spend 



142 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

money liberally on internal improvements, such as dig- 
ging canals, making roads, building bridges, constructing 
harbors, and other public works ; the Democrats thought 
that the separate States should attend to all such affairs 
for themselves. 

The Tariff Question (1824).— But the greatest dispute 
of the time was about the tariff duty. The Whigs fa- 
vored high duties on such things, imported from Europe, 
as could be made in this country. They claimed that, 
since it cost more to manufacture goods here than in 
other countries, American manufacturers could not com- 
pete successfully with the people who brought such 
things from abroad. They therefore maintained that a 
heavy tax, or duty, ought to be put on the foreign goods, 
so as to raise their price. This would make them more 
costly than American goods. People would then buy the 
goods made here, because they were cheaper than those 
brought from other countries. 

This, they said, would build up our own manufactures, 
would protect and encourage American skill and enterprise, 
and, while giving a market to American farmers for their 
produce, at the same time would afford constant employ- 
ment, at good wages, to the laboring classes of our people. 

The Democrats, on the other hand, held that high 
duties on foreign goods only resulted in making prices 
high for the special benefit of the few who owned facto- 
ries. They contended that the government ought to 
leave the people perfectly free to buy goods wherever 
they could be bought the cheapest. If duties were low, 



JOHN QUINCY ADAMS' ADMINISTRATION. 143 

a great many foreign goods would come into the country, 
they would be cheaper than American goods, and the 
cost of living would be less. The Democrats claimed 
that under their plan more money would go to the 
government for the duties, thus relieving the people of 
the burdens of taxation. 

This interesting question, whether duties should be high 
or low, is still a warmly disputed one in the United States, 
and enters more or less into every Presidential election. 

At the next election, the votes were divided among 
four condidates, no one of whom had a majority. Under 
the law, the lower house of Congress was now compelled 
to choose one of the four for President. The choice fell 
upon the Whig candidate, John Quincy Adams, a son of 
John Adams. This is the only case in the history of the 
country, in which the son of a President has become 
President. 

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS' ADMINISTRATION. 

(ONE TERM— 1825-1829.) 

Condition of the Country (1825). — The country was 
rapidly growing in wealth and in the number of its 
people. Grreat canals were opened, making it easier and 
cheaper to transport the products of the country from one 
place to another, and business accordingly improved. The 
first railroad was built, in 1827, at Quincy, Massachusetts. 
It was only three miles long, and the cars were drawn by 
horses until 182 9, when an engine was brought over from 



144 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

England. That was the beginnmg of our great system of 
railroads, which now cover the country like a net-work. 

The Tariff Question. — President Adams, being a Whig, 
favored a high tariff ; and a law, placing heavy duties on 
foreign manufactures, was made early in his term. This 
gave a great impetus to business in New England, where 
factories most abounded; but in other parts of the coun- 
try, especially in the South and West, people did not like 
the law. When the time for election came around, in- 
stead of choosing Adams for another term, the people 
elected Andrew Jackson as President. John C. Calhoun, 
of South Carolina, was elected Vice-President. Jackson, 
as 3^ou remember, was the hero of New Orleans, and, at 
the time, there was no man more popular in the country. 



JACKSON'S ADMINISTRATION. 

(TWO TEIlMS-1829-1837.) 

Troubles over the Tariff (1832). — Jackson was not 
an educated man. He was blunt in speech, and his 
manners were rough. But he had much sterling com- 
mon sense, and was a very bold, resolute man, who 
always did Avhat he thought was right, no matter what 
stood in his way. While he was President, South Caro- 
lina passed a State law (1832), permitting foreign goods 
to come into that State without paying the duties 
ordered by Congress. The people of South Carolina 
threatened, if the government tried to enforce the tariff 
law there, to take their State out of the Union. 



JACKSON'S ADMINISTRATION. 



145 



Jackson, like most Democrats of the time, was not in 
favor of a high tariff, but he meant to enforce the laws 
of his country, whether they suited him or not. He, 
therefore, issued a proclamation in which he insisted 
that the duties should be paid in South Carolina as in 
other States, and announced that he would not permit 
the State to leave the Union. To show his determina- 
tion, he sent war ships and soldiers 
to Charleston. 

For a while bitter passions were 
aroused all over the country by 
this event, and people thought that 
civil war would ensue ; but Henry 
Clay again came forward as a peace- 
maker, and persuaded Congress to 
pass another compromise bill. Under 
this bill, the duties on foreign goods 
were to be lowered by degrees. With this arrangement 
both sides were satisfied. 

The Bank Troubles (1832).— The United States Bank 
had now been doing business for a good many years. 
The law authorizing the bank gave it permission to con- 
tinue business until 1836, but its managers wanted it to 
go on after that date. In 1832, therefore, they asked 
Congress to grant them a new charter, and a bill grant- 
ing it was passed by both houses of Congress. 

But something more was necessary before this bill 
could become a law — the President must approve it. 
According to the Constitution, the President may either 




ANDREW JACKSON. 



146 



A PRIMARY HISTORY. 



approve or reject a bill which has passed Congress. If 
he approves it, he signs it, and the bill becomes a law ; 
but he may reject it, or veto it, as it is called, in which 
case it does not become a law. 




Being a Democrat, President Jackson was strongly 
opposed to the United States Bank, and vetoed the bill 
to extend its charter. Soon afterward the election took 
place, and as the people re-elected him as President for a 
second term by a vast majority, he felt that they approved 
what he had already done. 

But the bank could still carry on business until 1836, 
and it meanwhile had possession of all the government 



JACKSON'S A D M I N I S T R A ^lU O N . 1 tt 7 

money. As this mone}^ was necessary to the bank, Jack- 
son decided, in 1833, to take it away. His cabinet officers 
tried to dissuade him from his purpose, but he peremp- 
torily ordered the money to be withdrawn and deposited 
in various State banks. This summary action created 
great excitement throughout the country. After strug- 
gling for a year or two longer to maintain itself, the 
bank had to give up business, and the stockholders lost 
every thing. 

Indian Wars. — There were two Indian wars during 
Jackson's administration. One of these was (1832) with 
the Sac and Fox Indians, in the North-west ; and, as the 
Indian leader was named Black Hawk, the war is called 
the Black Hawk War. The Indians were soon brought 
to terms. 

The other war (1835) was a long and terrible one 
with the Sem' i noles of Florida, under a chief named 
Os ce o' la. This war was brought about by an attempt 
to remove that tribe to another part of the country. 
The Indians lived in the swamps, or everglades, where it 
was difficult for the soldiers to reach them ; and, as they 
fought fiercely, many lives were lost. The war cost the 
United States thirty millions of dollars before the Sem- 
inoles Avere fully subdued. 

New States. — Two new States came into the Union 
during Jackson's administration — Arkansas, in 1836, and 
Michigan, in 1837. 

The Election. — At the next election, the Democratic 
candidate, Martin Van Buren, was chosen President. 



148 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

VAN BUREN'S ADMINISTRATION. 

(ONE TERM— 1837-1841.) 

The Panic of 1837. — When Van Buren took his seat 
as President, the business of the country had been 
rapidly growing for several years. Towns were spring- 
ing up all over the West. Men bought lands and town 
lots on credit, and sold them again at fabulous prices on 
credit. The banks lent money freely. Great quantities 
of foreign goods were brought into the country for sale, 
and business every-where was good. 

It was a time of wild speculation, when every one 
seemed to be getting rich. But, buying as they did 
chiefly on credit, many people plunged themselves heavily 
into debt in the hope of making fortunes. Soon after 
Van Buren became President, the crash came. Within 
two months, there were failures in New York City alone 
for a hundred millions of dollars. 

The panic soon spread over the country. Bank after 
bank suspended, merchants closed their stores, factories 
stopped work, prices fell, and many of the new towns, 
where lots had been selling for hundreds of dollars, were 
deserted, and the land was worth nothing at all. Thou- 
sands of people were out of work and destitute. 

Eight of the States were bankrupt, and even the gen- 
eral government found it difficult to get money enough 
for its current expenses. The interest on the public debt 
was delayed, because the banks that held the government 
money could not pay. After a time the panic ceased; 



HARRISON'S ADMINISTRATION. 149 

but thousands of people were ruined by it, and it was 
years before the country began to prosper again. 

Politics. — Many of the people thought that the great 
panic had been caused by the manner in which the 
Democrats managed the government, and especially its 
money affairs ; and so at the next election they chose 
the Whig candidate, General William Henry Harrison, of 
Ohio, for President. 

HARRISON AND TYLER'S ADMINISTRATION. 

(ONE TERM-1841-1845.) 

Death of Harrison. — One month after taking his seat 
as President, General Harrison died, and John Tyler, 
who was Vice-President, became President for the rest 
of the term. 

Tyler's Vetoes. — The Whigs, as we know, were in favor 
of a United States Bank, and President Tyler, in a message, 
requested Congress to pass a bill to establish one. But 
when the bill was passed, Tyler, to the surprise of every- 
body, vetoed it. Congress then passed another bill, to 
which, it was thought, the President could raise no objec- 
tion; but that he also vetoed. 

Tyler's action, in thus going contrary to the expressed 
wishes of his party, caused intense excitement. All the 
members of the cabinet, except Daniel Webster, resigned. 
The Whigs, who had elected Tyler, were deeply incensed 
at his course, and heaped denunciations upon him as 
a "renegade" and a "turn-coat". His friends, how- 



150 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

ever, said that he had always been more of a Democrat 
than a Whig. 

Annexation of Texas (1845). — The most important 
event that occurred during Tyler's time was the annexa- 
tion of Texas. After a long and bloody war with Mexico, 
Texas had become an independent country. Its chief 
men were Americans who had gone there to live, and 
they naturally desired to make that country a part of 
the United States. 

When Congress was asked to admit Texas to the 
Union, a political controversy arose about it similar to 
that which took place in the case of Missouri. Slaves 
were then held in Texas, and those in this country who 
opposed slavery, were equally opposed to adding so much 
slave territory to the Union. Texas is nearly forty times 
as large as Massachusetts, and Northern men thought 
that if so large a slave-holding region should be ad- 
mitted, the free States would always be outvoted in 
Congress. 

Besides this, there was an unsettled dispute between 
Texas and Mexico about the boundary line of the two 
countries ; and it was quite certain that we should have 
to fight Mexico if Texas was taken into the Union. 

For a while. Congress would not consent to the ad- 
mission of Texas ; but at the election for President, in 
November, 1844, the people chose James K. Polk, who 
had warmly favored the annexation, over Henry Clay, 
who had as strongly opposed it. As the people had thus 
indicated their wishes on the subject, Congress passed a 



POLK'S ADMINISTRATION. 151 

resolution to annex, and President Tyler signed it just 
three days before he went out of office. 

But there were still some important matters to be 
settled before Texas could legally become one of the 
States of the Union, and, accordingly, it did not formally 
come in until near the end of the following year. 

Florida. — On the last day of Tyler's term, a new 
State, Florida, was admitted to the Union. 

The Telegraph. — Professor Samuel F. B. Morse had 
been at work for several years on his telegraph, and the 
first item of news sent over the first telegraph line in 
this country, which stretched between Washington and 
Baltimore, announced the nomination of James K. Polk 
for the Presidency. From this small beginning, which 
was but a mere experiment, has been developed the great 
telegraph system of the United States. 

POLK'S ADMINISTRATION. 

(ONE TERM— 1845-1849.) 

The War with Mexico.— When Texas came into the 
Union, near the end of the year 1845, it brought with it 
its old quarrel with Mexico. Texas and Mexico, as we 
have already remarked, had never been able to agree 
about the boundary line between the two countries. 
Texas maintained that the river Rio Grande (ree'ogranda) 
was the proper line separating the territory of the two 
countries, while Mexico claimed that her borders ex- 
tended as far north as the Nueces (n\A^a'ses) River. 



152 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

There was, accordinglj^, a valuable strip of country, more 
than a hundred miles wide, in dispute. 

In 1846, Polk sent General Zachary Taylor, with a 
small army, to hold the disputed territory against the 
Mexicans. This, of course, was a direct challenge to 
Mexico, which she promptly accepted. 

The Mexicans at once sent a larger army to oppose 
Taylor, and in May the two forces met at Palo Alto 
(pahMo ahrto), and a battle was fought. Taylor had 
only about two thousand men against six thousand 
Mexicans; but, undismayed by the superior force of the 
enem}-, he launched his little army against them, and, 
after a desperate contest of five hours, beat them badly, 
driving them from the field. 

The next day he came up with them again at Resaca 
de la Palma (rasa'ka da la pal' ma), and, after a fierce 
struggle, drove them across the Rio G-rande, with the 
loss of their stores and camp equipage. 

The Plan of the War (18-16).— War was now fairly 
begun between the two countries, and there was nothing 
to do but fight it out to the bitter end. At the call of 
the President, volunteers came forward from all parts of 
the Union, eager to fight the Mexicans. The plan of 
campaign for the American forces was for Taylor to 
march his army into Mexico and take the principal 
places in the northern part of that country, while Gen- 
eral Winfield Scott, with another army, should land at 
Vera Cruz (va'ra kpc5os), on the sea-coast, and fight his 
way across the country to the city of Mexico itself. 



POLK'S ADMINISTKATION. 



153 



'"'f/i/ftr-^A D 









<>* \ ^''i>: 




MAP TO ILLUSTRATE 
WAR WITH MEXICO 

SCALE OF MILES 
lUO 2(JU ijuu 400 



154 



A PKlMARY HISTOHY, 



At the same time, General Philip H. Kearney (kar'ni), 
starting with a force from Fort Leavenworth, was to 
cross the Rocky Mountains and take California and New 
Mexico. All this, as we shall see, was brilliantly carried 
out, although the Mexicans always had two or three 
times as many men as were sent against them. 

General Taylor's Campaign (1846). — General Taylor 
crossed the Rio Grande, and began his campaign by 

taking Matamo'ras. In Sep- 
tember, he pushed forward with 
six thousand men to attack 
Monterey (i-non ta ra'). This 
was a very daring movement. 
Monterey lay among the mount- 
ains, and it was difficult even 
to get near it. The Mexicans 
had built a series of strong 
forts on the surrounding hills 
for its defense, and had ten 
thousand men ready to oppose 
Taylor's army. But the American general, with his in- 
ferior force, boldly attacked the place. 

The Americans fought for four days before they could 
drive the Mexicans from their outer works, and when that 
was done, they had to take the town little by little, fight- 
ing them from street to street, and from house to house. 
During the winter, General Taylor was compelled to 
send part of his army to the assistance of General Scott. 
Santa Anna (san'ta an'a), the Mexican commander, learn- 




ZACHAEY TAYLOR. 



POLK'S ADMINISTRATION. 155 

ing of this movement, thought it a good opportunity to 
capture or destroy Taylor's small force. 

Santa Anna now marched, with twenty thousand 
men, to the mountain pass of Buena Vista (b^va'na 
vees'ta), where the Americans were posted. His army 




GENERAL TAYLOR AT BUENA VISTA. 



was SO large, and Taylor's so small, that he thought 
Taylor would certainly surrender without a battle. 
When he was told by an American officer that " Gen- 
eral Taylor never surrenders ", he made a fierce attack. 

For a while, it seemed as though the Americans would 
be slaughtered; but Taylor, at a critical moment in the 



156 A PKIMARY HISTORY. 

battle, ordered up Captain Bragg's artillery, which began 
to pour a fire of grape-shot into the Mexican ranks. 
Seeing the Mexicans waver, he cried out, "A little more 
grape, Captain Bragg", and a few minutes later the 
Mexican army was running in confusion from the field. 

General Scott's Campaign (184 7). — Q-eneral Scott, 
with twelve thousand men, landed at Vera Cruz in 
March, and immediately invested the place. After four 
days of fighting, the town and the fortress that guarded 
it surrendered. He then began his march inland toAvard 
the City of Mexico. The road led through mountain 
gorges, and swarms of Mexican soldiers stood ready to 
fight at every available point. But Scott, knowing that 
he could trust in the valor and endurance of his men, 
marched boldly on. 

He took by storm Cer'ro Gor'do, where the Mexicans 
had an army of fifteen thousand men behind earth- 
works, and captured three thousand prisoners, among 
whom were four general ofiicers. Then he pushed on to 
Pueblo (pueb'io), which yielded without resistance, and, 
after waiting there some time for re-enforcements, again 
marched toward the City of Mexico. 

He stormed one great fortress after another, and in 
September entered in triumph the capital of the country. 
He had, with his small force, overcome an army of thirty 
thousand men, and now, with less than six thousand 
men, he marched into, and held, a hostile city containing 
one hundred and forty thousand people. 

The Result of the War (1848).— This ended the war. 



POLK'S ADMINISTRATION 



157 



Kearney and Fremont had taken C/alifornia and New 
Mexico, while Scott and Taylor had conquered Mexico 
itself. When a treaty of peace was made, it was agreed 
that the Rio Grande should thereafter be the boundary 
line between Texas and Mexico, and that the United 
States should have all 
the region then known 
as California and New 
Mexico. 

This vast territory 
included what we now 
call California, New 
Mexico, Nevada, Utah, 
and parts of Colorado 
and Kansas. For all 
this, the United States 
agreed to pay fifteen 
millions of dollars. 

Discovery of Gold 
in California (1849).— 
The country thus 
bought was very thinly 
settled, and at first did 
not seem to be of much value. The Spaniards, as we 
may remember, tramped all over it three hundred years 
before, searching every-where for gold. They had held 
it ever since, first as Spanish and then as Mexican terri- 
tory, but had found no gold, and really made no serious 
attempts toward settling the country. 




WASHIJvG OUT GOLD. 



158 



A PRIMAKY HISTORY 



Almost as soon as it came into the possession of the 
United States, a great change took place. A workman, 
while mending a mill-dam on the Sacramento River, ac- 
cidentally found the gold which had been so long sought 




SAN FRANCISCO IN ^KVo, AND NOW. 



in vain, and it soon became known that the richest gold 
mines in the world were in California. 

The news of this discovery spread swiftly all over the 
world. Men flocked to California by thousands and tens of 
thousands. Towns grew up there almost in a night. At 
first, everybody wanted to dig for gold ; but there were 
such swarms of people to be fed and clothed, that many 



POLK'S ADMINISTRATION. 159 

found it even more profitable to open shops and stores, 
and to cultivate farms. In 1846, the population of San 
Francisco did not exceed 600 souls; but within two years 
it had increased to nearly 35,000. Its beautifid bay, 
which before the war was only frequented by an o(^ca- 
sional Avhaling ship, was now white with the sails of 
vessels from almost every nation. Indeed, California had 
grown so rapidly in population that, in less than three 
years after the Mexican War, it was ready to come into 
the Union as a great, rich State. 

Slavery Agitation (1848). — The old difference of 
opinion about slavery had been growing all this time. 
Consequently, when the Mexican War was over, one of 
the first things people thought about was whether the 
territory wrested from Mexico should be slave or free. 
David Wilmot, a representative from Pennsylvania, had 
tried, in 1846, to induce Congress to make a law that 
slavery should not be allowed in any part of the region 
that might be acquired from Mexico as a result of the 
Avar. The proposed law was popularly known as the 
Wilmot Pr(jviso. Congress did not make the law ; but 
the violent discussion of the subject which followed, by 
newspapers and politicians, kept the entire country, for 
almost tAvo years, in a ferment of excitement. 

As a result of this agitation, many Whigs and Demo- 
crats, anxious to stop the spread of slavery, now left 
the old parties and formed a new one, calling it the 
Free-soil party. 

This party was very small at first; but its numbers 



160 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

held together, and, in 1848, voted for Martin Van Buren, 
of New York, for President. The Democrats voted for 
Lewis Cass, of Michigan, and the Whigs for General 
Zachary Taylor, who had won so much fame for himself 
in the Mexican War. Taylor was elected, with Millard 
Fillmore as Vice-President. 

New States. — Three new States were admitted to the 
Union during Polk's administration — Texas, in 1845 ; 
Iowa, in 1846 ; and Wisconsin, in 1848. 



TAYLOR AND FILLMORE'S ADMINISTRATION. 

(ONE TERM— 1849-1853.) 

The Compromise of 1850. — The western part of Cali- 
fornia filled up with people so rapidly that it was ready, 
in 1850, to enter the Union as a State, leaving the east- 
ern part to be divided into Territories. The people then 
made a constitution for themselves, and asked Congress 
for admission to the Union as a free State. This at 
once stirred up again the old controversy about slavery, 
which became so angry and bitter that Henry Clay, who 
had settled the dispute of 1820 by the Missouri Com- 
promise, now came forward with a plan to arrange this 
difficulty. 

After a warm debate, Congress passed the measures 
which he proposed. California was to be admitted as a 
free State, and all slave-trading in the District of 
Columbia, where Washington City stands, was to be 
stopped. This was to satisfy the people in the North. 



PIERCE'S ADMINISTRATION. 161 

To satisfy the Southern people, a law was passed that 
if slaves ran away, their masters might go after them 
into any of the States, and take them back without 
recourse to a jury trial. This law was called the 
Fugitive-Slave Law. General Taylor died in July, before 
the bill was passed, and Fillmore, the Vice-President, 
became President. 

Politics. — The new law, which was meant to settle 
the quarrel about slavery, only made it worse, and many 
people abandoned the old parties and joined the new 
one. The Free-soil party, however, was still small, and 
when the election took place, in 1852, the Democrats 
elected Franklin Pierce (peers'), of New Hampshire, for 
the next President. 

PIERCE'S ADMINISTRATION. 

(ONE TERM— 1853-1857.) 

The Kansas-Nebraska Bill (1853). — Pierce's term was 
a time of great excitement. Stephen A. Douglas, a 
Senator from Illinois, brought a bill into Congress to 
organize the Territories of Kansas and Nebraska. These 
Territories were north of the Missouri Compromise line, 
and so, according to the terms of the compromise, slav- 
ery was forbidden in them. 

But the bill put forward by Senator Douglas provided 
that, when the two Territories should get ready to come 
into the Union as States, the people living in them, who 
were called "squatters", might decide for themselves 



162 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

whether they wished them to be free States or slave 
States. A storm of angry debate arose over this bill, 
and the people all over the country became greatly 
excited. The bill was passed in 1854. 

Civil War in Kansas (1856). — As soon as this bill be- 
came a law, men from all parts of the country hurried 
to Kansas. The Northern men hoped to outnumber the 
Southerners, and so outvote them when the time should 
come to make a constitution. If they could do that, 
Kansas would come into the Union as a free State. On 
the other hand, the Southerners hoped to outnumber 
and outvote the Northern men, and so make Kansas a 
slave State. Kansas was now the scene of a desperate 
struggle between the friends and the opponents of 
slavery. 

Bitter passions were aroused on both sides, and the 
State was soon plunged in a civil war. Two different 
constitutions were formed by two rival conventions, each 
of which claimed to be legally elected by the people. 
One constitution was for a slave State, the other for a 
free State. The fighting continued, towns were burned, 
and many people were killed. 

Politics (1856). — Although the fighting was confined 
to Kansas, the excitement spread to every part of the 
country, and the slavery question, which had been so 
long allayed by compromises, became the most important 
one in politics. Most of the Whigs in the North had 
joined the Free-soil party, which now changed its name 
to the Republican party. The Southern Whigs joined 



BUCHANAN'S ADMINISTRATION. 168 

the Democrats, while many Northern Democrats went over 
to the Repubhcans. The Whig party was now extinct. 

In the Presidential election of 1856, there were three 
candidates. The Democrats voted for James Buchanan 
(bu kan'an), the Republicans for John C. Fremont, and 
the Know-Nothings, or Native-American party, for Mil- 
lard Fillmore. Fillmore carried one State, Fremont 
eleven, and Buchanan nineteen. Accordingly, James 
Buchanan, of Pennsylvania, was elected. 

BUCHANAN'S ADMINISTRATION. 

(ONE TERM— 1857-1861.) 

The Quarrel about Slavery (1857). — Buchanan's term 
was, from the outset, a stormy one. The excitement 
about slavery grew greater every day. The law that 
Congress passed in 1850, giving slave-holders the right 
to go into free States for their runaway slaves, was so 
offensive to the Northern people that some of the North- 
ern States passed what were known as Personal Liberty 
laws which, in effect, nullified the national law. 

In many cases, mobs rescued negroes who had been 
caught by their owners, and who were about to be taken 
back to the South. Finally two events occurred which 
made both sides more angry than ever. 

The Dred Scott Case (185 7). — One of them was called 
the Dred Scott decision. It was the law in the free 
States that, if the owner of slaves brought any of them 
into a free State, they should be free ; but in the Dred 



164 A PRIMAKY HISTORY. 

Scott case, the Supreme Court of the United States de- 
cided that all such laws made by the States were uncon- 
stitutional, that is to say, they were contrary to the 
constitution and therefore had no force, and that a slave- 
owner might take his slaA^es to any part of the country 
without losing his right to them. 

The Northern people loudly protested against this 
decision. They said that it simply removed all barriers 
against the extension of slavery, made all the States 
slave States, and that they would never submit to so 
great an injustice. 

John Brown's Raid (1859). — The other event Avas 
what is known as John Brown's raid. John Brown was 
one of the leaders of the free State men in Kansas. He 
was an ardent anfci-slavery man, and, in 1859, he re- 
solved to wage war against slavery in the South itself. 
He got together a small body of men, suddenly entered 
the town of Harper's Ferr}^, in Virginia, and seized the 
arsenal there, which belonged to the United States. He 
proposed to overthrow the State government, set the 
negroes free, and place arms in their hands. 

But his little company was soon overcome and capt- 
ured by a force of United States marines sent from 
Washington, while Brown was delivered up to the Vir- 
ginia authorities, by whom he was tried for treason and 
hanged. 

Politics. — The John Brown raid fanned the flame of 
sectional passion to such a degree that there was now 
no question in politics except that of slavery. The 



BUCHANAN'S ADMINISTRATION. 



165 



Democratic party was still the strongest political party 
in the country ; but the slavery controversy rent it in 
two, and in 1860, when the time for election came 
around, it had two candidates for President, Stephen A. 
Douglas, of Illinois, being one, and John C. Breckinridge, 
of Kentucky, the other. 

Douglas represented the Northern Democrats, who, 
though not in favor of 
the extension of slavery 
to the Territories, yet be- 
lieved that the inhabit- 
ants of each Territory, 
and they alone, had the 
right to say whether it 
should come into the 
Union as a slave State or 
as a free State. 

Breckinridge, on the 
other hand, represented 
the extreme Southern 
Democrats, who insisted that neither Congress nor the 
people of the Territories had the right to prohibit slavery 
in any Territory. 

The Republicans, who were determined to exclude 
slavery from the Territories at any cost, voted for Abra- 
ham Lincoln, of Illinois, while a small party of old 
Whigs and others voted for John Bell. The election was 
carried by the Republican candidate, who secured the 
electoral vote of every free State except New Jersey. 




ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 



166 A PRIMAEY HISTORY. 

Secession of the Southern States (1860). — Abraham 
Lincoln was elected in November, 1860; but his term of 
office did not begin until the following March. As soon 
as the election was over, several of the Southern States 
preiDared to leave the Union. A great many of the lead- 
ing men of the South had always held that the Union 
was not perpetual, but only a league or partnership 
among the States, and that any State had the right to 
withdraw from the Union whenever it chose to do so. 
The people of that section, therefore, believing that the 
election of Mr. Lincoln was a menace to slavery, now de- 
cided to secede and set up a government for themselves. 

South Carolina led the movement, and declared her- 
self out of the Union in December. Alabama, Georgia, 
Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, quickly fol- 
lowed, seizing such forts, arsenals, and navj'-yards of the 
government as were within their respective borders. The 
other Southern States waited, in the vain hope that the 
trouble would be settled in some peaceful way. 

The States that had passed acts of secession united 
and formed a government, calling themselves the Con- 
federate States of America. A convention of delegates, 
or representatives from these States, met at Montgomery, 
Alabama, and drew up a constitution for the new gov- 
ernment, which closely followed that of the United States, 
except that slavery was forever legalized, and a pro- 
tective tariff prohibited. They chose Jefferson Davis, 
of Mississippi, for their President, and Alexander H. 
Stephens, of Georgia, for Vice-President. 



BUCHANAN'S ADMINISTRATION. 



167 



The whole country was now anxious. Many plans 
were proposed to adjust the trouble, but they all failed ; 
and, through that long winter, every day brought the 
country nearer and nearer to the verge of civil war. 

The position of the administration in this emergency 
was one of great difficulty and perplexity. The various 
officers, representing 
the United States in 
the revolted States, 
judges, marshals, col- 
lectors of customs, 
postmasters, and dis- 
trict-attorneys, had 
all resigned, to follow 
the fortunes of their 
States ; and there 
was, therefore, no 
Yv^ay in which the 
government could 
' exercise its authority 
in those States. 

Mr. Buchanan, as President of the United States, 
could not and would not admit that it was within the 
power of any State to secede at its pleasure, and yet he 
doubted his right, under the Constitution, to force the 
seceding States back by warlike measures, even if he 
had an army and a navy large enough to do so. But 
he had neither, and Congress refused to give him au- 
thoritv to raise them. It was evident, therefore, that 




JEFFERSON DAVIS. 



168 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

nothing would be done, one way or the other, until the 
new President should take his seat on the 4th of March 
following. 

New States. — Three new States were added to the 
Union during the administration of James Buchanan — 
namely, Minnesota, in 1858 ; Oregon, in 1859 ; and 
Kansas, in 1861. 

QUESTIONS. 

1. When did England make a treaty giving np all claim to the colonies? 

2. How many States were there at the close of the Revolutionary War? What 

powers did each claim for itself? What control did the general govern- 
ment have over the States? AVliat was the condition of trade?— of the 
people ? 

3. What State took the lead in trying to better matters ? What was the result of 

the first convention? When and whei-e did the second convention meet? 
Explain the views of the two political parties of the time. 

4. When was a national Constitution agreed upon? What powers were granted 

to each State ?— to the general government ? When was this Constitution 
accepted by the States ? What was the extent of the national territory ? 

5. Who was chosen as the fii'st President of the United States? What duties 

were to be performed by the new government? How did the people feel 
toward the President? In what ways did they show their affection? 
0. AVhom did Washington select as his chief advisers in carrying on the govern- 
ment? What was the cause for the Whiskey Rebellion? What effect did 
its suppression have lapon the nation ? Tell about the treaty with Spain ;— 
the treaty with England. What was the feeling of the American people 
toward Prance? What two political parties were formed? What were the 
opinions held by the Republicans?— by the Pedei^alists ? Who were the 
candidates for President at the close of Washington's term? Who was 
elected ? 

7. How many States were there in the Union when Adams went into oflace? 

Give the names of the new States, and the year when each was admitted. 
What was the condition of the country? WTiat was the cause of the 
quarrel with France? Explain the Alien and Sedition Laws. What did 
the people do at the next election ? How was Jefferson, the third Presi- 
dent, chosen? 

8. When did the war with Tripoli take place? What was the cause of the war? 

How many ships were sent against Tripoli ? Tell about Decatur's advent- 
ure. What was accomplished afterward ? When was Liouisiana purchased 



BUCHANAN'S ADMINISTRATION. 169 

from the French? Why was that territory of so much importance to the 
United States ? Name the States and Territories formed from it. In what 
manner, and when, was the slave-trade declared unlawful ? What was the 
cause of our quarrel with England ? What was the Embargo Act ? How 
did it affect our shipping interests ? What were the grounds of contest 
between parties at the next Presidential election ? Who was chosen Presi- 
dent? Who ran the first steam-boat on the Hudson River? 
9. What acts of the British led the United States to declare war? When and 
where did General Harrison defeat the Indians ? How did the Federalists 
act in regard to the war with England? Tell about General Hull's sur- 
render;— the fight between the Constitution and Guerrifire ;— the invasion 
of Canada in 1813 ; — Perry's victory on Lake Erie; — the battle of the 
Thames ;— the Creek War ;— General Scott's victories in Canada ;— the battle 
of Lake Champlain ; — the battle of New Orleans. When was peace de- 
clared? How were the pirates of Northern Africa punished? Why was 
the Federalist party broken up? Who was elected as the fifth President? 
Wliat States were added to the Union during Madison's two terms? 

10. Why was Monroe's administration called the "Era of good feeling"? What 

was the condition of slavery in the North?— in the South? What dispute 
took place when Missouri asked to enter the Union? How was it settled? 
Give the particulars of the Compromise. When was Florida purchased of 
Spain? Give names of the five new States admitted during Monroe's ad- 
ministration. What were the names of the great political parties? What 
were the views of the Whigs?— of the Democrats? Explain the two sides 
of the Tariff question. How many candidates were voted for at the next 
election? Whom did the House of Representatives choose as President? 

11. What improvements were made during Adams' administration? Tell aboiit 

the first railroad. What were Adams' views about the tariff? How was 
the country divided upon the question? Who was chosen as the seventh 
President ? 

12. What was the character of Jackson ? When did South Carolina try to abolish 

the duties on foreign goods ? What did Jackson do ? How was the trouble 
finally settled? Tell about the United States Bank. What action did 
Jackson take against the bank? What Indian war took place in 1832?— 
in 1835? AVhat new States came into the Union? — give dates of their 
admission. Who was elected as the next President? 

13. What was the condition of business? Tell aboiit the "Panic of 1837". Who 

was elected as the ninth President? 

14. When did President Harrison die ? Who succeeded him as President ? What 

biUs did Tyler veto ? When did Texas apply for admission to the Union ? 
What objections were made to admitting her? In what way did the 
nation express its wishes? WTien was the bill to admit Texas passed? 
When did the new State enter the Union ? When was Florida admitted 
as a State? Tell about the telegraph. 



170 A PEIMARY HISTORY. 

15. What was the cause of the war with Mexico? When did Polk send Taylor 
into Texas? What were the first two battles fought with the Mexicans? 
What plan was adopted for the war ? Tell about the battle of Monterey ;— 
Buena Vista ;— Vera Cruz ;— Cerro G-ordo ;— the capture of Mexico, What 
was the result of the war? What territory was ceded by Mexico to the 
United States? When was gold discovered in California? What was the 
effect of the discovery? When did California apply for admission to the 
Union? AYhat troubles then grew out of the slavery question? What 
was the Wilmot Proviso? What new political party was formed? Who 
was elected as the twelfth President? 

IG. What were the terms of the Compromise of 1850? When did President 
Taylor die? Who succeeded him? What effect had the Fugitive Slave 
Law upon politics? Who was elected as the fourteenth President? 

17. Tell about the Kansas-lSTebraska Bill. What difficulties arose in Kansas? 

What effect had the slavery excitement upon politics? Name the candi- 
dates of each party for President in 1856. Who was elected? 

18. What feeling in regard to slavery grew up between the North and the South? 

State the facts in regard to the Dred Scott decision. Grive an account of 
John Brown's Raid. How were politics affected by the result ? Tell about 
the different candidates for President in 1860. WTio was elected ? What 
action did South Carolina take? What other Southern States followed 
her example ? What name was given to these States ? Who were chosen 
as their President and Vice-President ? What was the condition of affairs 
in the North? What course did President Buchanan follow? Por what 
event did the whole country wait? Name the new States admitted into 
the Union. In what year was each received? 

19. Name in their order the States admitted to the Union from the adoption of 

the Constitution to the election of Liincoln. Name the Presidents in their 
order from Washington to Lincoln. How many of them were elected for 
a second term?— how many and which of them for only one term? 

FOR READING OR RECITATION. 

Old Ironsides.— TLoiMiEs. Peri^''s Ylctorij on Lake Eme.—J. Q-. Per- 

Osceola.—K. B. Street, cival. 

The Biglow Papers. — Lowell, Hail Columbia.— J . Hopkinson. 

The Angels of Buena Ffe^a.— Whittier. TJie /Stot^e-s/ii2^.— Montgomery. 

The American Flag.— Drakb. The African C'Me/".— Bryant. 

The Arsenal at Spjingfleld.-ljo-SGFELLOw. The Ship of /Stofe.— Longfellow. 

lYeedom. —IjOwej.l. The Defenders of New Orleans.— Djiakb. 

The Star Sjyangled Banner.— 'F. S. Key. The Present Crisis (1845).— Lowell, 



M 



gPApT? V.pte^ 




^-^Hti -iJL^-_WAi^;, 







WHEN Lincoln took his 
seat as President (1861), 
seven Southern States had declared 
themselves out of the Union, and 
had set up a government for 
themselves. The otlier Southern 
States were quietly awaiting the 

course of events. It was not certain what they would 
do ; but they all claimed that any State had a right to 
leave the Union whenever it pleased. 

In the North, most people held that no State could 
leave the Union ; but there Avas a great difference of 
opinion as to what ought to be done. Some said that the 
Southern States should be brought back by force, while 
others thought it would be better to let them go in 
peace. Many of the most eminent and patriotic men of 
the country held the latter opinion for a while. 

President Lincoln, who was a man of calm wisdom 
and discretion, hoped to settle the question peaceably. 



172 A PEIMART HISTORY. 

He declared in his inaugural address that he did not 
intend to interfere with slavery in the Southern States, 
and, furthermore, that he had no right to do so ; but at 
the same time he made it plainly understood that he 
was determined to enforce the laws every-where, and to 
recover the forts and arsenals, the property of the United 
States, which the people of the South had seized. 

The matter had gone too far to be settled peaceably, 
however. The Southern States had determined not to 
come back into the Union on any terms, and the United 
States would not agree to this. 

Bombardment of Fort Sumter (1861). — While matters 
were in this uncertain state, an event occurred which 
made war certain. Major Robert Anderson, with a small 
company of United States troops, held Fort Sumter, in 
Charleston harbor. This was one of the few fortresses 
in the South which had not been captured by the seced- 
ing States. The Confederates, as the Southerners were 
called, demanded its surrender. Major Anderson refused, 
whereupon the Confederates, under General Beauregard 
(bo' re gard), bombarded the fort. The fire was kept up 
for nearly two days and nights, when Anderson, finding 
his supply of food and ammunition almost exhausted, 
was forced to surrender. He was allowed to salute his 
flag with the honors of war, and take his men to the 
North, instead of giving them up as prisoners. 

The Effect. — When this news was telegraphed over 
the country, everybody, on both sides, abandoned all 
hope of peace, and began to get ready for war. Presi- 



THE CIVIL WAR. 173 

dent Lincoln called for volunteers, and three hundred 
thousand men offered themselves at once. 

There was a similar effect in the South. Virginia, 
North Carolina, Arkansas, and Tennessee, hesitating no 
longer, severed their connection with the Union and 
joined the Confederacy. Virginians seized the arsenal at 
Harper's Ferry and the navy-yard at Norfolk (nor'fawk), 
with its vast stores of cannon and war materials. While 
all this was going on, Southern volunteers were pouring 
into Richmond, and Northern volunteers were hurrying 
on to Washington. 

The greatest war of modern times was now about to 
begin. It was to be a terrible conflict, for it was to be a 
struggle of Americans against Americans. The armies 
were made up of the very best inen in the North and 
the South ; and when the war was once fairly begun, it 
was certain that neither side would submit until forced 
to do so. 

First Movements of the Armies (1861). — The volun- 
teers on both sides were good material of which to make 
soldiers, but at first they were not good soldiers. They 
had to be taught many things ; they had to learn how 
to march and how to fight battles. For a while, there- 
fore, very little was done on either side except to get 
ready. The Union troops crossed the Potomac at Wash- 
ington, and took Alexandria and Arlington. There they 
threw up fortifications to prevent the Confederates from 
reaching Washington. The Southerners had established 
their chief camp at Manas'sas Junction, in Virginia, and 



174 



A PEIMARY HISTORY. 



their line was along a creek, called Bull Run, about 
twenty-five miles from Washington. 

During the spring and early summer. General McClel- 
lan, with a Union army, marched into western Virginia, 
where the people were mostly on the Union side. He 




and General Rosecrans (ro'ze krans) having gained sev- 
eral small battles, secured control of that region. 

About two years later, while the war was still going 
on, Virginia was divided, and the western part of it came 
into the Union as the State of West Virginia. 

Battle of Bull Run (1861).— The first real battle of 
the war was fought at Bull Run, on the 21st of July, 



THE CIVIL WAK. 175 

1861. The Confederate army, under General Beaure- 
gard, was stretched along Buh Run Creek, and General 
Irvin McDowell, with the Union army, went out to attack 
it. Each army numbered about thirty thousand men. 
The men on both sides were new to the work of fight- 
ing ; but they were brave and full of enthusiasm. For 
many hours the battle was so hotly contested that it 
was doubtful which side would win ; but, at a decisive 
moment, a part of the Union army was suddenly attacked 
on its flank by a force of Confederates that had just 
arrived on the field. These Union troops, thinking they 
were about to be surrounded, wavered and retreated, and 
presently the whole army broke into a wild panic and 
fled in great disorder to Washington. 

The Effect of Bull Run.— The effect of this battle 
on both sides was very great, but in different ways. 
The Southern people, wild with the joy of victory, 
thought the war was over, and consequently became 
careless. In the North, at first everybody was much dis- 
couraged; but in a little while they began to realize the 
magnitude of the undertaking before them, and saw 
that a greater effort must be made. Congress promptly 
voted to raise half a million men and five hundred mill- 
ions of dollars. Volunteers poured into the camps every- 
where, and General George B. McClellan, who was made 
Commander-in-Chief, spent several months in training the 
men and making soldiers of them. 

Other Events of the Summer (1861). — Drmng the 
first summer, there was a great deal of fighting in Mis- 



176 A PKIMARY HISTORY. 

souri. The people of that State were divided in their 
allegiance. Some sided with the Union and some with 
the South, so that for a while it was not certain which 
side would succeed in gaining control. After many small 
battles, however, the Confederates were finally forced out 
of the State. 

Battle of Ball's Bluff (1861).— On the 21st of October, 
exactly three months after the battle of Bull Run, a 
Union force of two thousand men crossed the Potomac 
at Ball's Bluff, above Washington, and there came unex- 
pectedly upon a body of Confederates. In the battle 
that followed, the Union troops were badly defeated and 
driven from the field. In trying to get back across the 
river, many of them were killed and many were drowned. 
While this disaster was very discouraging to the people 
at the North, it stimulated them to a more vigorous 
prosecution of the war. 

The Plan of the War (1861).— By this time, the Union 
generals had formed a plan for carrying on the Avar. 
There were three important things to be done, if possible. 
One was to take Richmond, Virginia, which had been 
made the Confederate capital ; another was to blockade 
the Southern ports and land an army on the Southern 
coast, and thus shut off the Confederates from the sea ; 
the third was to secure possession of the Mississippi 
River, and, by so doing, cut the South in two. 

The War on the Coast (1861). — During the fall, a 
part of this plan of operations was successfully carried 
out. Two armies were safely planted on the Southern 



THE CIVIL WAR. 177 

coast ; one of them at Hatteras Inlet, in N(jrth Carolina, 
and the other along the coast from Port Royal, in South 
Carolina, to the mouth of the Savannah River. Ah this 
was a great gain to the Union side; and, from that time 
till the end of the war, the stretch of coast thus taken 
was securely held. 

The Confederates still held Charleston, Savannah, and 
Wilmington ; but the ships of the navy watched their 
harbors closely and stopped all trade between the South 
and the rest of the world, except what could be carried 
on by blockade-runners. 

Blockade-Running. — The people of the South had 
always been an agricultural people — that is, they lived 
wholly by cultivating the ground. They had few fac- 
tories of any kind, and depended upon the North and 
upon Europe for their supplies of manufactured goods, 
for which they exchanged their cotton, rice, tobacco, and 
other products. 

With their ports closed by a stringent blockade, so 
that vessels could neither enter nor leave them, the 
Southern States were now effectually cut off from com- 
munication with the rest of the world. As a result, all 
goods that could not be made in the South rose to 
fabulous prices, while in England, cotton could not be 
had at all. If,* therefore, a ship-owner succeeded in tak- 
ing a cargo of goods into a Southern port, and bringing 
out a cargo of cotton, his profit would be very great. In 
the hope of making such profits, a great many foreigners 
went into the business of blockade-nnming. 



178 



A PRIMARY HISTORY. 



cavenworlL^ l^ 3Iason 
> 



Qiiincy y Lj^^^ MAP TO ILLUSTRATE 

PRiNGFiELu THE WAR EN THE WEST 

'-«'7«'^oii Vv,oi >T 1 , v^ I *^ AND 
^exinS^ 'pOiasgow >M.erly ^, S > 

iair^ (Kansas City ^ L^ V (J \- ON THE MISSISSIPPI 

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Praili^, f-i'ayettevffle 



jjh 0, 1 
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"v. Elizaljefhtown 

^ j! A^H^'^'Tinian XT'Tf'" pq-'m— rr, ^ 

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^^^T E^ N|/NV^^'.;S E E 

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J 2 Camden IT:- s5 nvT '^ < 

I > ^ i,-^ ?y '■'^«ada 

I -'^ 




THE CIVIL WAR. 179 

They built small, fast-sailing steamers, and painted 
them a dull gray color, so that they could not be seen 
very far at sea. Loaded with goods, they made their 
Avay into Charleston, Savannah, Wilmington, or Mobile. 
These goods were exchanged for cotton, to carry to for- 
eign countries. Many of these ships were captured by 
the vigilant war-ships guarding the entrances to the 
Southern harbors ; but a great many escaped, and the 
business of blockade-running continued until all the Con- 
federate ports on the Atlantic coast were finally closed 
in the last year of the war. 

Progress of the War. — We can not, of course tell, in 
a little book like this, all about the movements of the 
various armies, nor can we describe all the battles, 
marches, and sieges that occurred during this great war. 
We shall tellonly in a general way what was done. 

Forts Henry and Donelson Captured (1862). — In Feb- 
ruary, General Ulysses S. Grant, with the help of some 
gun-boats under the connnand of Commodore Foote, 
captured two strong Southern forts. Fort Henry, on the 
Tennessee River, and Fort Donelson, on the Cumberland 
River, taking fifteen thousand prisoners. This was a 
severe blow to the Confederates, and seriously interfered 
with their plan of operations in that region. Without 
these forts, they could not maintain their armies in 
Kentucky, and so they retreated, abandoning all of that 
State and most of Tennessee to the Union troops. 

These successes, so brilliantly won in the first cam- 
paign in the West, gave great encouragement to the 



180 



A PRIMARY HISTORY 



Union side, for they more than offset the disasters of 
Bull Run and Ball's Bluff. 

Battle of Shiloh. — Grant uoay took his army to Pitts- 
burg Landing, on the Tennessee River, where he waited 
to be joined by an army under Buell, before making an 




^^5%^^ 



GU^-BOATS ATTACK.I>'G l-OltT DONELSON. 



advance upon Corinth, Mississippi, In April, the Confed- 
erates from Corinth, under G-enerals A. S. Johnston and 
Beauregard, made a stealthy march of tvfenty miles, and 
falling unexpectedly on the Union army, drove it from 
its camp. For twelve hours the battle raged. Grant's 
force was pushed back, slowlj^ but steadily, toward the 
river. The Union men fought with the pluck and tenac- 
ity of old soldiers ; but the Confederates i)ressed themx 



THE CIVIL WAR. 1<S1 

harder and harder, taking three thousand prisoners and 
great quantities of stores. Seeing the Union forces in 
almost hopeless confusion, Beauregard shouted to his 
men, "Forward, boys, and drive them into the Tennes- 
see." But General Buell, coming on the field with his 
fresh troops, checked the Confederates just at night-fall. 
The next morning the battle was renewed, and the Con- 
federates were driven back as slowly and as steadily as 
the Union men had been the day before. Finally, they 
withdrew from the field and retreated to Corinth. 

Operations on the Mississippi (1862). — While all this 
was going on along the upper Mississippi, a strong 
fleet, under Admiral Farragut, entered the mouth of the 
river from the Gulf of Mexico, and fought its way past 
the forts to the city of New Or' leans. The city sur- 
rendered on April 2r)th, and the forts soon after. Then 
Farragut, continuing up the river, captured Baton Rouge 
(bat'un roozh') and Natch'ez, ran past the heavy Confed- 
erate batteries at Vicksburg, and joined the fleet above. 

Both ends of the great river were now open ; but the 
Confederates still held two strongly fortified places on 
it, Vicksburg and Port Hudson, and so long as those 
two points were held by them, they could obtain al)un- 
dant supplies from Texas and other States west of the 
Mississippi River. To open the river, and cut the Con- 
federacy in two, those places must be taken. 

The War on the Coast (1862). — Early in the spring, 
a Union force under General Burnside captured Roanoke 
(ro a nok^') Island and Newbern, North Carolina, and 



182 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

obtained control of nearly the whole coast of that State. 
Fort Pulaski (pu las'ki), at the mouth of the Savannah 
River, was taken, and man}^ points in Georgia and 
Florida fell into the hands of the Union forces. 

The Monitor and Merrimac (18 62). — On the 9th of 
March, the first battle that ever took place between iron- 
clad ships was fought in Hampton Roads, Virginia. The 
Confederates had cut down the frigate Merrimac, and 
turned her into an iron-clad, which they named the Vir- 
ginia. On the 8th of March, this great iron box, accom- 
panied by two smaller vessels, steamed out from Norfolk 
into the Roads, sunk the sloop-of-war Cumberland, ran 
the Congress aground and captured her crew, and then 
steamed back to Norfolk. She meant to repeat the per- 
formance on the other vessels the following morning. 

There was, of course, great excitement and conster- 
nation on board the other war-ships. They could do 
nothing against this armor-plated monster. Their heav- 
iest shot glanced off her iron sides like pebbles, and she 
might, without resistance, easily have sunk and destroyed 
the whole fleet that lay in the Roads. But during the 
night, a strange-looking craft arrived at Hampton Roads 
from the North. 

Captain Er'icsson, of New York City, had long been 
at work upon a vessel called the Monitor. Though small, 
she was built on a good plan, and was heavily plated 
with iron. The Monitor carried two powerful guns in a 
round iron house on deck, and as this house, or turret, 
could be revolved by machinery, she was able to fire in 



THE CIVIL WAR. 



188 



any direction. It was this new iron-clad that had come 
into Hampton Roads that night, just in time to save 
the other vessels of the fleet. When the victorious 
Merrimac steamed out into Hampton Roads early the 
next morning, Lieutenant Worden, unawed by the story 




THK MKRItlMAC AND THE MONITOR. 



of her prowess, gallantly confronted her with the Moni- 
tor. The Confederates ridiculed the curious little craft 
that thus boldly faced the invincible Merrimac, compar- 
ing it to "a Yankee cheese-box on a raft." The two 
vessels at once came to close quarters. They fought for 
over four hours, often lying side by side, and pounding 
each other with great cannon-balls. Neither could inflict 
much injury on the other, and at last the Merrimac, 



184 



A PR T MARY HISTORY 



r^;;: 



firing a parting shot, went back to Norfolk. This fight 
marked a new era in naval warfare. 

McClellan's Plan. — General McClellan, who had been 
drilling and organizing his army during the Avinter, was 
now ready to march against Kichmond. 
He had formed a new plan for taking that 

city. Instead of 
marching across 
the country from 
Washington to 
the Confederate 
capital, he decided 
to take his army 
in boats to Hamp- 
ton Roads, and 
march up between 
the James River and the York River to Richmond. 
The country between these two rivers is a narrow strip 
called the Peninsula, and McClellan's movement is, there- 
fore, called the Peninsular campaign. 

Battle of Williamsburg (1862).— On the way, McClellan 
was stopped at Yorktown by a small Confederate army, 
and for a whole month occupied the very ground on 
which the army of Cornwallis had laid down its arms 
eighty years before. At last, the Confederates fell back 
to Williamsburg, and, receiving re-enforcements from 
Richmond, there offered battle on the 5 th of May. For 
nine hours the battle was furiously fought, when the 
Confederates again fell l)ack toward Ricdimond. 




MAP OF MCCLELLAN'S CAMPAIGN IN THE PENINSULA. 



THE CIVIL WAK. 185 

The Siege of Richmond (1862). — McClellan now 
posted his army near Richmond, and threw up heavy 
earth-works. He was v/aiting for another army, under 
McDowell, which was coming from Fredericksburg to 
join him. He hoped, as soon as this force came, to 
march into Richmond itself. 

Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley (1802). — But the 
Confederate commander. General Johnston, was very 
shrewd. He did not propose to allow the two Union 
armies to unite and capture the Confederate capital. 
He sent " Stonewall Jackson " to the Shenandoah 
(shen an do'ah) Yalley, in Virginia, with fifteen thousand 
men. This threatened the safety of the National capital. 
As soon as this bold movement was known, a change 
became necessary in the plans of the Union generals. 

It would not do now for McDowell to march toward 
Richmond, because if he did, the wily Jackson might 
push on and capture Washington. McDowell, therefore, 
instead of going to help McClellan, hurried back to pro- 
tect Washington. But this was not all. Jackson and 
his army must be captured, destroyed, or driven out of 
the valle}^, and so three armies, making sixty thousand 
men in all, were now concentrating against him from 
different directions. 

Jackson managed his campaign with great skill and 
daring ; for, after fighting one army, under Fremont, 
at Cross Keys, and another, under General Shields, at 
Port Republic, he suddenly slipped away and marched 
leisurely back toward Richmond. 



186 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

Battle of Fair Oaks (1862). — While all this was going 
on, Johnston and McClellan had fought one severe battle 
at Fair Oaks, near Richmond, in which Johnston was 
badly wounded, so that General Lee had to take com- 
mand of the Southern army. In this battle, which was 
fought on the last day of May and the first day of June, 
the Confederates were badly beaten. 

The Seven Days' Battles (1862).— Toward the end of 
June, Jackson, returning with his army from his brief 
campaign in the Shenandoah Valley, suddenly appeared 
behind McClellan's lines. McClellan had not heard of 
Jackson's escape from the Union armies sent to capture 
him, and the news that he was at Hanover Court House, 
behind the right of the Union line, was therefore start- 
ling. Something had to be done at once, and McClellan 
decided to abandon his position before Richmond, and 
march his army back to Harrison's Landing, on the 
James River. 

As soon as he began to do this, the Confederates fell 
upon him, and for seven days and nights the struggle 
continued. McClellan's army marched at night and 
fought during the day. Wherever the Confederates could 
strike the Union army, a battle followed. The Confed- 
erates again and again tried to cut off the retreat and to 
capture or crush the Union army, but McClellan man- 
aged the retreat with great ability, and at last the army 
reached the James. 

In these battles, sometimes one side had the best of 
it and sometimes the other ; but it was a great sorrow to 



THE CIVIL WAR. 187 

the Northern people that McClellan, after going near 
enough to Kichmond to see the church steeples, had been 
forced to retreat to the river where the gun-boats pro- 
tected him. Of course, the Confederates were rejoiced 
to be free from the danger that had so long menaced 
them. 

Lee's Movement to the North (18 62). — The situation 
was now soon to be reversed. For months, the South 
had feared that McClellan would march into Richmond, 
and the North had hoped to end the w^ar in that way. 
Now Lee marched northward, and there was danger that 
he would advance on and capture Washington. General 
Pope was sent into Virginia to meet the Confederates ; 
but in a battle on the old field of Bull Run, he was 
beaten and forced to fall back to the protection of the 
defenses at Washington. Lee, flushed with success, now 
resolved to carry the war into the North, and so pushed 
on, crossed the Potomac into Maryland, and threatened 
Baltimore. 

Lee Invades Maryland (1862). — A Confederate army 
was at last on Northern soil, and dismay and consterna- 
tion spread every-where. President Lincoln called for 
three hundred thousand more volunteers ; all troops 
within reach were ordered up ; McClellan's army was 
brought around in boats from Harrison's Landing to 
Washington ; and, with all the force that could be 
mustered, McClellan was sent in pursuit of Lee. Every 
thing hung on the result. If McClellan could not force 
Lee back, it was almost certain that the Confederates 



188 A PRIMAEY HISTORY. 

^voukl pour into Baltimore and Washington, and possibly 
get even to Philadelphia, before another army strong 
enough to check them could be got together. 

Battle of Antietam (1862).— McClellan, at this critical 
juncture, was so fortunate as to find out, from a paper 
dropped by one of Lee's officers, just how the Confed- 
erates intended to divide their army and march in two 
columns. He hurried forward, therefore, in order to fall 
upon one column while the other was at a distance. 

This thwarted Lee's plan of campaign, and forced 
him to fall back on Antietam (an tee'tam) Creek, near 
Sharpsburg, Maryland, so as to allow his two columns to 
come together again. There McClellan attacked him, and 
a great battle was fought on the 17 th of September. 
Both armies fought with desperation, for both recog- 
nized that the battle was to decide whether the \var was 
thenceforth to be fought on Northern as well as on 
Southern soil. The loss on both sides was enormous. 
Neither army, however, could drive the other from the 
field, and so neither could claim a victory. During the 
next day, they lay facing each other, then, seeing that 
his plan was hopelessly frustrated, Lee quietly fell back 
into Virginia. 

The Battle of Fredericksburg (1862).— As soon as the 
Union army could be strengthened with fresh troops 
and supplied with clothing, it crossed into Virginia. 
General Burnside was now placed in command, and took 
position before Lee at Fredericksburg. The Confederates 
threw up works on a line of heights back of the town, 



T II E C I V 1 L W A 1 1 . 189 

and waited for the Union army to cross the river and 
make an attack. 

This was done on the 13th of December. Burnside 
led his army across the stream, through the town, and 
up the heights toward Lee's strong hues. Tliere a ter- 
rible battle was fought, and more than 12,000 Union 
soldiers fell while trying to take the Confederate works 
by storm. Meagher's Irish brigade, which made six dif- 
ferent attempts to carry the heights at the point of the 
bayonet, was literally cut to pieces. It was a useless sacri- 
fice. Lee's position was altogether too strong to be taken 
by assault, and Burnside withdrew across the river. 

The War in the West (1862). — While all this Avas 
going on in the East, the armies in the West were also 
busy. The Confederates, under Bragg, marched from 
Chattanooga into Kentucky, while the Union troops, 
under Buell, fell back nearly to Louisville. General 
G-rant, who was at Corinth, sent all the troops he could 
spare to the assistance of Buell, and they reached him 
just in time to save Louisville. Bragg had now to re- 
treat, and after fighting one battle at Perryville, on the 
8th of October, he went back to East Tennessee. 

Battles of luka and Corinth (1862).— On the 19th of 
September, General Grant attacked the Confederates at 
luka, Mississippi, hoping to capture them. The battle 
was fierce, and the Confederates were driven back, but 
they were not captured. They joined another Confed- 
erate force soon afterward, and on the 4th of October, 
attacked Corinth with great vigor, but were defeated 



190 



A FEIMARY HISTORY. 




GENERAL GRANT ON THE BATTLE-FIELD. 



THECIVILWAR. 191 

with immense loss, and were pursued for a Ioul!: dis- 
tance. 

Battle of Murfreesborough (1 8(32). — In December, Bragg 
marched northward again, hoping still to recover control 
of Kentucky. On the last day of the month. General 
Rosecrans, who was now in command of Buell's army, 
met the Confederates at Murfreesborough, in Tennessee, 
and a great battle was fought. Both sides were obsti- 
nate, and neither would give Y.^ay. After fighting for a 
whole day, the tAvo armies still faced each other, and 
three days later, January 2d, 1863, they fought again 
on the same ground. Then, Bragg, once more foiled 
and beaten, fell back to Chattanooga. 

The Vicksburg Expedition (1862). — While Rosecrans 
was thus holding the line through Tennessee, Greneral 
Grant had prepared a plan for the reduction of Yicks- 
burg. He collected a great quantity of food for his army 
at Holly Springs, Mississippi, and prepared to march his 
force down the railroad from that point so as to get to 
the rear of Vicksburg. General Sherman, Avith another 
force and a fleet of gun-boats under Admiral Porter, 
was to descend the Mississippi River and advance upon 
the town from the north. 

But the Confederate general. Van Dorn, one day 
dashed into Holly Springs with a body of cavalry and 
burned the stores of food that Grant had collected there. 
Grant's army, of course, could not undertake a long and 
diflficult campaign without provisions, and so Sherman 
was left unsupported. Believing that Grant was behind 



192 A PRIMAEY HISTORY. 

the town, Sherman made his attack, and was repulsed 
with great loss. 

Emancipation of the Slaves (1863). — One of the most 
important events of the war occurred at the beginning 
of this year. This was the freeing of the slaves. You 
will remember that, when Mr. Lincoln was inaugurated 
as President, he disavowed any intention of interfering 
with slavery in the South. But as the war went on, it 
was seen that the slaves were a source of great strength 
to the Confederate cause, for they not only remained 
on the plantations to raise crops for the supply of the 
Southern armies, but they also labored in building great 
fortifications. Mr. Lincoln therefore, in order to still fur- 
ther weaken the South, resolved to free the slaves. So, 
on the 1st of January, 1863, he issued a proclamation, 
declaring that all slaves held by the Confederates, should 
be thenceforth and for ever free. Under this proclama- 
tion, the Union officers, wherever they went in the South, 
set the negroes free. Numerous negro regiments were 
soon organized, and afterward fought gallantly on many 
a bloody battle-field. The freeing of the slaves was a 
severe blow to the Confederates, and a corresponding 
benefit to the L^nion side. 

Battle of Chancellorsville (18 6 3). — We must now^, once 
again, turn to the East, and see what was being done in 
that section. After the battle of Fredericksburg, General 
Hooker was placed in command of the Union army. 
The two armies in Virginia lay still until spring, and 
spent the winter in getting ready for a grand campaign. 



THE CIVIL WAK. 193 

The Union army was strengthened in every way, while 
Lee, on the other hand, had to send about one third of 
his men away, under Longstreet, to protect the Peninsula. 

When the spring of 1863 opened, Lee had only 
60,000 men, while Hooker had nearly twice as many. 
But Lee's position at Fredericksburg was very strong, 
and Hooker, remembering the costly experience of Gen- 
eral Burnside the previous year, resolved not to repeat 
the mistake of that commander. Instead of crossing the 
river at Fredericksburg and storming Lee's strong works 
on the heights from the front, he moved most of his 
army up the stream, then crossed, and marched out to 
Chancellorsville. 

This forced Lee to abandon his position. Leaving a 
small force at Fredericksburg to hold the works, he 
marched to Chancellorsville to confront Hooker. There, 
in spite of the great odds against him, he divided his 
army, and sent Jackson with part of it to march around 
Hooker's right flank. Jackson fell upon the L^nion flank 
just before dark on the 2d of May. The surprise was 
complete, and Hooker's right wing was routed. The 
next day the fighting was terrible, and Hooker was 
slowly forced back. 

In the meantime, Qeneral Sedgwick, with a L^nion 
force, had crossed the river and taken Fredericksburg. 
He was now coming up to attack Lee in the rear, and 
so the Southern army was at once hurled against him, 
in order to destroy him before he could make a junction 
with Hooker. By the time Lee had forced him back to 



194 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

the river, Hooker's beaten army had retreated to its old 
camping ground, opposite Fredericksburg, and the battle 
was over. 

Hooker's failure, with the immense army under his 
command, was a great disappointment to the people of 
the North, while the Southern people could hardly enjoy 
their victory because of the death of their favorite 
leader, G-eneral " Stonewall " Jackson. He had been 
killed in the battle by a party of his own men, who 
mistook him in the dark for a Union officer. 

Battle of Gettysburg (1863). — Lee now concluded to 
again iuA^ade the North. AYith all the troops he could 
gather, he marched into Maryland and Pennsylvania. 
Nobody knew in what direction he intended to strike. 
He might attack Baltimore and Washington, or he might 
make a dash at Philadelphia and New York. There was 
great uneasiness throughout the North, and General 
George G. Meade, with all the troops within reach, was 
sent to check the march of the Confederates. 

The two armies met at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on 
the 1st of July, and fought the greatest battle of the war. 
The fight lasted three days, both sides contesting every 
inch of the ground with dogged tenacity. The men 
often fought hand to hand, charging up to the ver}^ 
mouths of cannon, which blew them away almost by 
companies. Twenty-three thousand of the Union soldiers 
fell, and the Confederates lost even more. At last the 
terrible battle ended. Lee marched back into Virginia 
and posted his army on the Rapidan, Meade slowly fol- 



THE CIVIL WAR. 195 

lowiiii^'. This ended the fighting in the East for that 
year. 

Siege and Capture of Vicksburg (18 6 3). — While these 
things were happening in the East, the war was going on 
as briskly in the West. Early in the spring, Grant began 
to move against Vicksburg. Landing his army north of 
the town, he tried for several weeks to take the Avorks, 
l)iit failing after repeated attempts, he crossed to Milli- 
ken's Bend, on the west side of the Mississippi, and 
marched down on that side to a point opposite Bruins- 
bnrg, about thirty-five miles below the town. Then the 
fleet, under Admiral Porter, boldly steamed down the 
river, running the gauntlet of eight miles of Confederate 
batteries, and, in spite of the storm of shot and shell, 
got through and carried the troops safely across to the 
east bank of the river. General Grant, with his army, 
was now south of Yicksburg, its weakest side. 

Grant now swung his army around in the rear of the 
town, and, after some desperate fighting, shut up the Con- 
federates, under General Pemberton, in their own works. 
General Johnston, who was at Jackson, Mississippi, with 
a large force, endeavored to help Pemberton, but was 
driven back. Two assaults on the works were repulsed, 

A regular siege was now begun, and was pressed Avith 
sleepless energy. Every avenue of escape from the city 
was closely guarded. A line of fortifications, fifteen 
miles in length, was thrown up around the city, from 
l:>ehind which more than two hundred pieces of artillery 
poured an incessant fire of shot and shell upon the be- 



196 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

leaguered city and its inhabitants. The navy on tlie 
river side threw great bombs into the streets of Vicks- 
burg at night, so that, between the fire of tlie fleet on 
one side and that of tlie army on the other, the people 
were in constant fear and terror. 

To escape the dreadful storm of fire that swept over 
the place, the people abandoned their houses, and dug 
caves in the sides of the hills, in which they continued 
to live all during the siege. Soon the store of food ran 
low, when mules, and horses, and other animals Avere 
killed, to eke out the scanty rations of the besieged. 
Famine and pestilence stalked the streets, while all 
around was a circle of fire. The end finally came. 
After seven weeks of heroic defense, Vicksburg surren- 
dered on the 4th of July, and 2 7,000 men were taken 
prisoners. 

Siege and Capture of Port Hudson (1803). — Vicks- 
burg, as we have learned, was not the only place on the 
Mississippi to be taken before the control of the great 
river was wrested from the Confederates. Port Hudson, 
two hundred miles below, was also strongly fortified, and 
the reduction of that stronghold was also i3art of the 
plan of campaign for this year. 

About the time that Grant began his movement 
against Vicksburg, a Union army, under General Banks, 
crossed from New Orleans into western Louisiana, and, 
routing the Confederates under Taylor, pursued them far 
into the country. Turning about, a swift jnarch along 
the Bed River brought Banks to the Mississippi. Here 



O^HE CIVIL WAR. 197 

the fleet from Vicksburg met him and carried his army 
across to a point a few miles north of Port Hudson. 

In the meantime a large forc^e, under General Augur, 
had been gathered at Baton Rouge, south of Port Hud- 
son. Banks advancing on the doomed town from the 
north and Augur from the south, Boon invested it. Two 
desperate attempts were made to carry the Confederate 
works by storm, but both were repulsed with frightful 
loss. The place sustained, for more than forty days, all 
the horrors of a siege, when, on the 7th of July — three 
days after the surrender of Vioksburg — Port Hudson 
also succumbed. The Mississippi was now free, and the 
Confederacy cut in two. 

The War in the Center (1863). — The rest of the 
fighting during this year took place around Chattanooga, 
Tennessee. Rosecrans marched against that place, and 
Bragg, fearing that he might be cut off and shut up in 
the town, retreated on the 8th of September. Lee, see- 
ing the danger, hurried Longstreet with a large force 
from Virginia to the assistance of Bragg. 

With this help, Bragg suddenly turned on Rosecrans 
at Chickamauga Creek, September 19th. The battle 
lasted two days, and the Union forces were badly 
worsted. General Thomas, who had command of the 
left wing of the Union army, held his ground, however, 
and so prevented the victory of the Confederates from 
being complete. 

Siege of Chattanooga (1863). —During the night, 
Thomas fell back to Chattanooga, and Bragg followed. 



198 



A PRIMARY HISTORY. 



For two months the Union army was closely shut up in 
the town, until it was nearly starved. In November, re- 
lief came. General Hooker was sent from Virginia with 
two corps, and Sherman brought his army from luka, 
Mississippi, while General Grant took command. The 




BATTLE OF MISSIONAKY RIDGE. 



fighting began on the 23d of November, and lasted 
until the 25th. The Union troops took the Confederate 
works on Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge in 
two of the most brilliant battles of the war. Bragg was 
driven from his position with great loss, and had to fall 
back into Georgia, where lie relinquished the command 
of his army to General Johnston. 



THE CIVIL WAR. 199 

Q-rant now ordered Sherman to march at once into 
East Tennessee, to the relief of Burnside, who was 
besieged in Knoxville by a Confederate army under 
Longstreet. After making a desperate effort to take the 
town before Sherman could reach it, Longstreet with- 
drew. 

The Red River Expedition (1864). — In the spring of 
1864, an army under General Banks, with a fleet of gun- 
boats under Admiral Porter, went from New Orleans up 
the Red River, where they were joined by a part of 
Grant's army from Yicksburg. The purpose of this ex- 
pedition was to conquer upper Louisiana and Texas. 
The Union army was badly beaten by General Richard 
Taylor in one battle, but held its ground in another the 
next day. The expedition proved a failure, however, 
and, as soon ns they could, the forces went back to 
New Orleans. 

The Plan of Campaign for 1864. — General Grant, 
whose brilliant series of victories had stamped him as 
the ablest general in the Union army, was now appointed 
Commander-in-Chief of all the Union forces. He had 
most of the troops brought together into two great 
armies, one in Virginia, under Meade, and the other near 
Chattanooga, Tennessee, under Sherman. Grant's plan 
was to have both armies operate against the enemy at 
the same time. The Eastern army was to make Rich- 
mond its objective point, while the Western one was to 
march into Georgia, rout the Confederate army in that 
section, break up the railroad system of the South, 



200 



A PRIMARY HISTORY 



destroy its foundries, arsenals, and store-liouses, and, if 
possible, cut the Confederacy in two again. The South 
was now nearly exhausted with the contest, and Grant 
hoped by this plan to end the war that year. He ordered 
the advance to begin early in May. 




GRANT WRITING THE ORDER ¥0]l SH KliMAN'S ADVANCi 



The Campaign in Virginia (1864). — On the -ith of 
May, the Eastern army crossed the Rapidan River, in Vir- 
ginia, and marched into a desolate and thickly-wooded 
region called the Wilderness. It was a perfect jungle. 
There Lee was met the following morning, and for two 
days the two armies were locked in deadly combat. 



THE C I \ i L W A li 



201 



surging and swaying through the tangled woods, as now 
one and then another of the combatants advanced or re- 
ceded. The fighting was terrible. The woods resounded 
with the cries of the wounded and the dying. Finding 
that Lee could not be dis- 
lodged, Grant marched to the 
left, and Lee, marching at the 
same time, met him again at 
'Spottsylvania Court House, 
There the two armies fought 
for four days, when Grant, 
swinging his army to the left 
again, once more outflanked 
Lee. In this way, the two 
marched south, until they 
found themselves facing each 
other at Cold Harbor. 

Battle of Cold Harbor 
(18(34:).— At this place, Grant 
made a fierce assault u^Don 
Lee's works, just at daybreak 
on the 3d of June. The battle 
lasted only twenty minutes, 
but the slaughter was fright- 
ful. The Union troops, charging upon impregnable earth- 
works, lost more than ten thousand men, while the Con- 
federates, protected by the works, lost only a thousand. 
Moving to the left again. Grant rested at last before 
Petersburg and Richmond. 




GRANTS CAMPAIGN AROUND RICHMOND. 



20^ A PEIMARY HISTORY. 

Grant's Plan. — His plan now was to hold his works 
there and gradually push his left wing farther and far- 
ther round the town of Petersburg, till Lee should be 
forced to retreat. Both sides knew that if Grant could 
get Petersburg, Richmond would be cut off, and the 
Confederates forced to evacuate it. For the next eight 
months the siege went on, with almost constant fighting, 
while little by little Grant's left was pushed forward so 
as to encircle the Confederate armies. 

Early's Campaign (1864).— In July, Lee sent Early to 
threaten Washington, hoping in that way to divert 
Grant's attention and compel him to raise the siege of 
Petersburg. Early went into Maryland, and, for a time, 
Washington was really in danger. Very few Union 
troops were there, but forces were hurried forward from 
various points, and Early had to give up his attempt. 
Sheridan pursued him into Virginia, and a sharp cam- 
paign in the Shenandoah Valley followed. Three great 
battles were fought ~ Winchester, Cedar Creek, and 
Fisher's Hill — in which Sheridan lost about seventeen 
thousand men, but when the campaign was over, he held 
complete control of the valley. Grant, meanwhile, firmly 
holding his position in front of Richmond and Peters- 
burg, was steadily tightening his lines around Lee and 
his army. 

The Alabama and the Kearsarge (1864).— While these 
brilliant victories were being achieved in the field, the 
commerce of the United States was being rapidly de- 
stroyed on the sea by armed cruisers carrying the Con- 



THE CIVIL WAR. 20B 

federate flag. These vessels were built in England, and 
sent out to sea unarmed. Other ships took out arms 
and ammunition for them, and when these were placed 
on board. Confederate officers took command. 

The chief of these ships was the Alabama, com- 
manded by Captain Raphael Semmes, She scoured the 
seas for many months, capturing American merchant 
vessels, and making it dangerous for unarmed ships to 
sail under the United States flag. At last, on the 19 th 
of June, 1864, the Kearsarge, a United States man-of- 
war, under Captain Winslow, met the Alabama near 
Cherbourg, France, and, after a battle of two hours, the 
Confederate vessel was sunk. Captain Semmes was taken 
on board an English yacht, which witnessed the fight, 
and made his escape. 

The Campaign in the West (1864). — When Grant 
crossed the Eapidan on his campaign in Virginia, Sher- 
man began his march into Georgia. Johnston slowly fell 
back before him, fighting stubbornly wherever he could 
make a stand. There were four great battles fought 
before Johnston at last took up his position in front of 
Atlanta. There he meant to stay and force Sherman 
to attack him behind his earth-works, but Jefferson 
Davis, the Confederate president, just then removed him 
from command, and placed Hood in his place. 

Hood attacked Sherman again and again, but with- 
out success. Sherman, instead of resorting to the slow 
process of a siege, marched past the town and cut its 
line of supplies. Hood was now forced to abandon 



204 A PKIMAKY HISTORY. 

Atlanta at once, to save his army from captm^e, leaving 
Sherman and his army in possession of the great railroad 
center of the South. 

On leaving Atlanta, Hood at once marched north and 
attacked Nashville. For two weeks he kept Thomas 
closely besieged in that town. At the end of that time, 
Thomas forced his way out, and a terrible battle, lasting 
two days, followed. Hood's army fought desperately, but 
was at last beaten and broken to pieces. 

Sherman's March to the Sea (1864).— As soon as 
Hood moved toward Nashville, Sherman set out to march 
through the heart of the So]ith, from Atlanta to Sa- 
vannah. Without opposition, he marched through the 
middle of the Confederacy, his army spread out over a 
wide expanse of country, destroying railroads, and capt- 
uring the few stores that were left. Finally, on the day 
after Hood's defeat at Nashville, Sherman entered Sa- 
vannah, and finished his famotis " march to the sea ". 

The Situation (1865). — It was now plain that the 
South could not hold out much longer. The Confed- 
eracy, which had been cut in two when the Mississippi 
River was opened, was again divided by Sherman's tri- 
umphant march across Greorgia. Admiral Farragut had 
taken the forts in Mobile Bay, and in January, 1865, a 
land and a sea force, after a desperate fight, took Fort 
Fisher, and so closed the harbor of Wilmington, North 
Carolina. 

The End of the War. — The Union armies now pressed 
the Confederates at every point. Cavalry forces swept 



THE CIVIL WAK. 



205 




UNION AND CONFEDERATE GENERALS OF THE CIVIL WAR, 



206 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

through the country in all directions. Shermun, with 
his army, set out from Savannah, passed through Co- 
lumbia, South Carolina, and, after some battles with the 
Confederates under Johnston, entered Raleigh, North 
Carolina. 

As soon as Sherman took Columbia, the Confederates 
withdrew from Charleston. The South was now com- 
pletely cut off from all access to the sea. 

On the 1st of Aprils , General Sheridan pushed a force 
around Lee's right flank, and gained the decisive battle 
of Five Forks. The next day an advance was ordered 
all along the Union lines, which broke Lee's front, and 
forced him to retreat from Petersburg to Richmond. 
Lee now struggled hard to free himself from the toils in 
which Grant had enveloped him, and to get away with 
the last remnant of his army. Pressed on every side, he 
was compelled, at last, to abandon Richmond ; and, after 
marching and fighting day and night for seven days, he 
found his men actually starving. 

On the 9th of April, Lee surrendered at Appomattox 
Court-House, Virginia. He had only eight thousand men 
left of his once magnificent army. As soon as it was 
known that Lee had surrendered, the Southern forces, 
one after another, laid down their arms,, and the civil 
war was over. 

New States. — Two new States were added to the 
Union during the civil war — West Virginia, in 1863, 
and Nevada, in 1865. 

The Assassination of President Lincoln. — As soon as 



THE CIVIL W All. 207 

the news of Lee's surrender reached President Lmcoln, 
he began to lay plans for settling the quarrel, and 
making the whole country once more peaceful and 
friendly. He had asserted, all through the war, that the 
only thing he cared for was to bring the Southern 
States back and preserve the Union. In his second 
inaugural address, about a month before, he had uttered 
these noble words, "With malice toward none, with 
charity for all, with firmness in the right, as God gives 
us to see the right let us strive on to finish the work 
we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for 
him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow 
and his orphans, to do all which may achieve and 
cherish a just and a lasting peace among ourselves and 
with all nations." 

And nov\^, that the conflict was ended, he meant, in 
the same generous spirit, to do all that he could to 
make the people forget the past, and be again friends. 
Nobody else could have done so much to bring this 
about as he, and, had he lived, it would have been 
much easier than it was to settle matters. 

But a terrible tragedy was enacted on the 14 th of 
April, just five days after Lee's surrender. Mr. Lincoln 
was sitting in a box in a theater, looking at the play, 
when an actor, named John Wilkes Booth, crept up be- 
hind, and shot him through the head. The news of 
this shocking deed sent a thrill of horror through the 
whole country, but there was no rioting of any kind. 
Mr. Lincoln's second term began on the 4th of March — 



208 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

a little more than a month hefore his death — so that 
the Vice-President, Andrew Johnson, had neany four 
years to serve as President. 



QUESTIONS. 

1. When did Lincoln enter on his deities as President? What right had the 

Southern States always claimed? What diflPerent opinions in regard to 
secession wei'e expressed at the North? \\rhat declarations did Lincoln 
inake in his inaugural address? ~\Yliat determination had been arrived 
at hy the seceded States? 

2. Who commanded Eort Sumter when it was attacked by the Confederates? 

Who was in command of the forces attacking Tort Sumter? Tell about 
the bombardment of Fort Sumter. What was its effect upon the whole 
country? Give the names of the States added to the Confederacy. At 
what place did the volunteers of the North collect? — the volunteers of 
the South ? 

3. Wliat was the first movement of the Union army ? Where was the Southern 

army located? Tell about McClellan's campaign in Western "Virginia. 
When was the State of West Virginia admitted to the Union? Describe 
the battle of Bull Run. What was its effect upon the South ? What was 
its effect upon the North? Who w^as appointed commander-in-chief of 
the Union forces? "N^Tiat was the condition of affairs in Missouri? When 
did the battle of Ball's Bluff take place? A^Hiat was its effect \ipon the 
North ? 

4. What plan of action had been formed by the Union generals? "Why was 

the possession of the Mississippi River by the Union side considered 
impoii;ant? "What events took place on the coast in 1861? Name the 
principal sea-ports of the South. "What was the object of blockading the 
Southern ports ? Tell about blockade-running. Why was blockade-running 
resorted to? 

5. Give an account of the capture of Forts Henry and Donelson ;— the abandon- 

ment of Kentucky by the Confederates ;— the battle of Shiloh. Who com- 
manded the L^nion forces at Shiloh? "Who the Confederate? Give an 
account of Farragut's expedition against New Orleans ; — the capture of 
Baton Rouge and Natchez. "WTiy were Vicksburg and Port Hudson of 
great importance to the Confederates? 

6. "What places on the coast were captured by General Burnside? Tell about 

the Merrimac; — the Monitor. ■\^Tiat did the Merrimac do on the 8th of 
March, 1862? Describe the fight between the iron-clads. What is said of 
the importance of this fight? 



THE CIVIL WAR. 209 

7. Wliat was McClellan's plan of campaign against Richmond ? Tell about the 

battle of Williamsburg ;— the siege of Richmond ;— Jackson's campaign in 
the Shenandoah Valley. Why was Jackson sent there V Tell about the 
battle of Fair Oaks ; — the Seven Days' Battles. What was the result of 
the Peninsular campaign? 

8. When did Lee march northward? Wliat battle was fought with General 

Pope? What Northern State did the Confederates enter? Who was t^ent 
to oppose them? Tell about the battle of Antietam. What did the battle 
of Antietam decide? Tell about the battle of Fredericksburg ;—Bragg's 
expedition into Kentucky ;— the battles of luka and Corinth;— the battle 
of Murfreesborough ;— the Vicksl:)urg expedition. Why was this expedi- 
tion unsuccessful? 

9. What proclamation did President Lincoln issue on January 1st, 1863? 

What were its effects upon the war? AVhat was President Lincoln's 
purpose in issuing that proclamation? Tell about the battle of Chan- 
cellorsville; — the death of "Stonewall" Jackson; — the advance of Lee 
into Maryland and Pennsylvania; — the battle of Grettysburg ; — the siege 
and capture of Vicksburg ; — the siege and capture of Port Hudson. 
What great object was accomplished by the capture of these two places? 
Tell about the battle of Chattanooga ;— the battle of Chickamauga ;— the 
siege of Chattanooga ; — the battles of Lookout Mountain and Missionary 
Ridge. 

10. When did the Red River Expedition take place? What was its object? 

What was its result? Who was appointed commander-in-chief of the 
Union armies? What were his plans for 1864? What was the condition 
of the Confederacy? 

11. When did the Eastern army cross the Rapidan River? Tell about the battle 

of the Wilderness ; — the battle of Spottsylvania Coui't House ;— the battle 
of Cold Harbor. How did Grant intend to capture Richmond? How 
did Lee endeavor to raise the siege of Petersburg? What were the chief 
events of Early's campaign? What three great battles were fought and 
won by Sheridan in that campaign ? Give an account of the cruise of the 
Alabama;— of her fight with the Kearsarge. 

13. Describe the advance of Sherman upon Atlanta. Who commanded the Con- 
federate army opposed to Sherman ? Who succeeded him ; — and why ? 
Tell about the expedition of Hood against Nashville ;— Sherman's march 
to the sea. What was the situation of affairs in February, 1865? TeU 
about Sherman's march from Savannah, Georgia, to Raleigh, North Caro- 
lina ; — the battle of Five Forks ; — the retreat and surrender of Lee. At 
what place did Lee surrender? 

13. What two new States were added to the Union during the war? What were 
Lincoln's intentions after the war was over? What was his great object 
during the war? When and by whom was he assassinated? Who became 
President? How long had he to serve? 



210 



A PRIMARY HISTORY 



FOR READING OR RECITATION. 



Battte Hymn of t?ie JRepublic.—JvhiA Wabd 

Howe. 
Our PnvUege—BnET Harte. 
Our Coufitry's Call.— Bryant. 
The Union— Bight or Wrong.— Gteo. P. 

MOKKIS. 

At Port Eoyal. — "Whittieb. 

John Broion.-'Ei. C. StedmaN. 

Three Hundred Thousand More. 

The Brummer Boy.— 3. T. Trowbridge. 

TJie Color Bearer.— 'H.. H. Brownell. 

Th^ Floiver of Liberty. — Holmes. 

The Little Brummer.— 'K. H. Stoddabt. 



Th£ Cumberland. — Longfellow. 

On Board the Cumberland. — Geo. H. 

BOKER. 

Barbara Frietchie.—WHiTTiER. 

John Burns of Gettysburg.— Bret "FT arte. 

Shefidan's Ride.—T. B. Read. 

The Cavalry Charge.— 'E. C. Stedman. 

Abraham Lincoln.— Bryant. 

The Fight Above the Clouds. — 'W. R. 

Wallace. 
Tfie Bay Fight.— JL. H. Brownell. 
T?ie EeveiUe. — Bret Harte. 
The Blue and the Gray.—F. M. Pinch. 



©J 



yj^HIF vl. 




.REeONSf RUCTION AND 



m 

i 



A^m^^4 



PASSINQ EVENfS 



Z^K^^^^ -'"^ 



FROM ia63 

THE PRESGNT DATE 




JOHNSON'S ADMINISTRATION. 



(ONE TERM— 1865-1869.) 

RECONSTRUCTION.— Although the war was over, 
there were still many questions that grew out of 
it to be settled. In the first place, since there might be 
some question as to the right of the President to abolish 
slavery, an amendment to the Constitution was passed, 
which prohibited slavery every-where in the country. 

But the most perplexing question of all was how to 
treat the Southern States. President Johnson main- 
tained that, as they had no right to secede, they were 
never out of the Union at all. He wanted thein to 
resume their old places again, and send their represent- 
atives to Congress as soon as they should comply with 
certain terms which he laid down. 

The majority of Congress, on the contrary, thought 
that the Southern States by seceding had forfeited their 
rights as States, that they were now to be regarded as 



212 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

conquered provinces, and that it remained with Congress 
to say what they must do to get back into the Union. 
This difference of opinion led to a bitter controversy 
between the President and Congress. 

Impeachment of the President. — In 1868, the Presi- 
dent was tried before the Senate for removing the Secre- 
tary of War from office without the consent of the 
Senate. It was claimed that in doing this he violated 
one of the laws passed by Congress, and was therefore 
guilty of a high crime and misdemeanor. There was 
great excitement throughout the country over the trial. 
When the Senate voted, the President was acquitted. 

After that, the work of bringing the Southern States 
back into the Union went on steadily. One by one 
they conformed to the conditions which the laws re- 
quired, and were allowed to come back into the Union. 
It was several years, however, before they were all ad- 
mitted, and in the election of the next President, three 
of them were not allowed to vote, because they had not 
been fully restored to their places in the Union. 

Constitutional Amendments.— The Thirteenth Amend- 
ment to the Constitution simply abolished slavery. It 
did not determine what rights the negroes should have, 
and so another amendment— the Fourteenth— was adopted 
by Congress. This gave the negroes all the rights and 
privileges of white men, except the right of voting. 
Being ratified by the necessary number of States, this 
amendment became, in 1868, part of the Constitution. 
But as this did not give the negroes the right to vote, 



JOHNSON'S ADMINISTRATION, 



218 



a Fifteenth AmendiuHiit was passed, which bestowed 
upon them all the rights of citizens of the United States, 
and of the States in which they lived. It became a part 
of the Constitution in 1870, after Johnson's term had 




LANDING THE ATLANTIC CABLE AT HEARTS CONTENT. 

expired. These three changes in the Constitution were 
all that the war had made necessary. 

Purchase of Alaska. — In 186 7, the United States 
bought Russian America, which we now call Alaska. 
The country is cold and barren ; but it is rich in furs, 
and there are valuable fisheries on its coasts. 

New State.— Nebraska was added to the Union during 
1867, making the total number of States thirty-seven. 



214 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

The Ocean Telegraph (1866). — For many years, Mr, 
Cyrus W. Field, of New York, had been trying to lay a 
telegraph under the Atlantic Ocean. One was laid in 
1858, but it soon broke. Most people believed that a 
cable could not be successfully laid and worked across so 
wide an expanse of ocean. But Mr. Field (who is a man 
of great patience and perseverance) had faith in the 
undertaking. He continued his efforts, and at last, in 
1866, after many failures and discouragements, suc- 
ceeded in his great enterprise. The cable was laid by 
the G-reat Eastern, the largest steam-ship ever built in 
the world. Since that time, many other cables liaA^e 
been stretched under the ocean, and now we would not 
know how to get along without them. 

Politics. — As the time for the next election approached, 
the Republicans nominated G-eneral U. S. Grant for Pres- 
ident, while the Democrats nominated Horatio Seymour, 
of New York. The contest mainly turned upon the right 
of Congress to establish laws for the admission of the 
Southern States to the Union. The Republican candi- 
date was elected. 



G-RANTS ADMINISTRATION. 

(TWO TERMS-1869-1877.) 

The Pacific Railroad (1869). — General Grant took his 
seat as President, in March, 1869. During the first year 
of his term, the railroad across the continent, which had 
been a great while in process of construction, was fin- 



GRANT'S ADMINISTRATION. 216 

ished. For six years, two companies had been building 
this road, one working from the east and the other from 
the west. In May, 186 9, they met at Ogden, Utah, and 
the last spike was driven between two locomotives, one 
headed toward the east and the other toward the west. 
The great Pacific Railroad was at last finished, and lines 
of rails, stretching without a break all the way across 
the continent, realized Columbus' dream of a short route 
to India. 

The Treaty of Washington (1871). — There were sev- 
eral matters in dispute between England and the United 
States. The most serious of them grew out of the oper- 
ations of the Confederate cruiser Alabama, which had 
done so much damage to American shipping during the 
war. The United States claimed that England, as a 
friendly nation, ought not to have permitted the Ala- 
bama to sail out of a British port, and therefore was 
responsible for all the harm the Alabama had done. 

The British government, however, would not yield to 
this view, and for a while it seemed that a war was im- 
minent between the two countries. But, in 1871, it was 
agreed to submit the whole matter to fair men, and to 
let them decide the questions in dispute. This agree- 
ment was called the Treaty of Washington. All differ- 
ences between the two countries were amicably adjusted. 
This was much more sensible than fighting, and made 
the two countries better friends than ever. 

The Great Fires (1871). — In October, 1871, a great 
fire broke out in Chicago, and in a night swej)t away 



21(i A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

the best part of that city. The property destroyed was 
worth two hundred mihion dollars, and a hundred thou- 
sand people were left homeless. This terrible disaster 
elicited an outburst of generosity among the American 
people, such as had never before been witnessed in uny 
country. Within twelve hours after the story of the fire 
had been flashed over the wires, trains, laden with food 
and clothing, were running from all points toward the 
desolated city. In every hamlet, town, and city of the 
United States, the people were at work devising means 
for the relief of their stricken brethren in Chicago. 

About the same time a disastrous fire swept through 
the great lumber region of Michigan, Wisconsin, and 
Minnesota, burning villages and farm-houses, and destroy- 
ing thousands of people. 

The next year, in November, a fire occurred in Boston, 
which consumed the finest part of that city. But the 
country was rich and thriving, and so Chicago and Boston 
were soon built up again, even better than before. 

Politics. — About this time many Kepublicans, who had 
zealously supported General Grant at the preceding elec- 
tion, became dissatisfied with his administration. They 
organized as the "Liberal Republican Party", and nomi- 
nated Horace Greeley for President. The Democratic 
convention endorsed this nomination, while the Repub- 
licans re-nominated General Grant. When the election 
took place, the Democrats, disliking Mr. Greeley because 
of his erratic ideas, mostly refrained from voting, and 
General Grant was accordingly re-elected. 



GRANT'S ADMINISTRATION. 217 

The Panic of 1873.— The prosperity of the country was 
now to receive a severe shock. There had been a great 
deal of wild speculation throughout the country, and, in 
the fall of 1873, a crash came similar to that of 1837. 
Banks failed, railroad-building stopped, factories shut 
their doors, money became scarce, business almost came 
to a stand, and thousands of people all over the country 
were thrown out of employment. Very hard times fol- 
lowed, and for six years the people felt the effects of 
that terrible panic. 

The Centennial Exhibition (1876). — In spite of the 
hard times, however, a great exhibition, in celebration of 
the hundredth year of our country's history, was held in 
Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, in 1876. Vast buildings 
were erected for the purpose, and the people of all na- 
tions sent goods to be exhibited there. Visitors came 
from all parts of the world, and everybody in the coun- 
try who could do so went to Philadelphia to see the 
wonderful sights. The exhibition lasted from May to 
October, and during that time it was visited by nearly 
ten millions of people. 

Indian Wars (1873-76). — There were two wars with 
the Indians during Grant's term. The first was with the 
Modocs of Oregon, m 1873. When the Indians were 
surrounded, General Canby went with a flag of truce to 
meet their chiefs and make terms of peace. While they 
were talking together, the chiefs suddenly fell upon 
Canby's party and tried to kill them. General Canby 
and a clergyman were instantly killed ; but the rest of 



218 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

the party escaped, although one of them was wounded. 
Nothing could be done after that but conquer the Indians, 
and force them to surrender. When that was done, their 
chiefs were tried and hanged for their treacherous deed. 

The other Indian war was in 1876, with the Sioux 
of Dakota. It was in this war that the terrible Custer 
massacre took place. General Custer, with about three 
hundred men, was surrounded by Sitting BulFs band of 
Indians, and could not cut his way out. Every man of 
the party was killed. This disaster was a great shock to 
the people of the country. The war, however, was vigor- 
ously continued till the Indian bands were broken up or 
driven into British America. 

The Disputed Election (1876). — The next election for 
President was a very close one. The Republicans had 
nominated Rutherford B. Hayes, of Ohio, for President, 
and the Democrats, Samuel J. Tilden, of New York. 
After the election, there arose a dispute as to which can- 
didate was entitled to the electoral votes of Louisiana, 
South Carolina, and Florida. For several months the 
question was a burning one in Congress and among the 
people, and many were afraid that it would result in 
another civil war. Congress finally agreed to refer the 
matter to a commission of fifteen men — five Senators, 
five Representatives, and five Justices of the Supreme 
Court. This commission decided that the votes of the 
disputed States should be counted for Mr. Hayes. He 
was therefore declared elected by a majority of one 
electoral vote. 



HAYES' ADMINISTRATION. 219 

HAYES' ADMINISTRATION. 

(ONE TERM— 1877-1881.) 

Domestic Affairs (1877). — During Hayes' term, much 
of the old feehng of bitterness between the North and 
the South passed away. The people, for a time, forgot 
all about politics, and became interested in other mat- 
ters. New questions, too, were coming up. In 1879, the 
government began to pay gold for the paper money 
which had been in use ever since the war. This made 
the paper money every-Avhere worth as much as gold, 
and helped business a great deal. 

The Railroad Riots (1877).— In the summer of 1877, 
the workmen on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad refused 
to work without higher wages, and when the railroad 
company decided not to accede to their demands, the 
workmen prevented the running of trains. This "strike", 
as it was called, soon developed into a riot, and spread 
over a large part of the country. Militia and regular 
troops were called out to subdue the rioters, and a good 
deal of bloodshed followed. In Pittsburgh, one hundred 
men were killed, many buildings and cars were burned, 
and much valuable property was destroyed. In Chicago, 
and other places, there was sharp fighting, and even 
after the riots were quelled, the government considered 
it necessary to retain troops in the mining districts of 
Pennsylvania to prevent a new outbreak. 

The Yellow Fever Epidemic. — In 1878, and again in 
1879, yellow fever raged with great violence in many 



220 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

Southern cities and villages. Thousands of people died 
of the disease ; and as business was suspended in the 
cities where it prevailed, there was much suffering 
among the people. 

Money, food, clothing, and medicines were badly 
needed for the smitten ones, and the people of the 
North poured out their wealth like water to help their 
plague-stricken brethren of the South. Eich men gave 
large sums, men of small means gave what they could, 
and even the poor dropped their coins into the boxes 
that were set up in public places to receive them. Phy- 
sicians and nurses from all parts of the country volun- 
teered their services and went South, many to lose their 
lives by the dreadful scourge. 

There was more danger in going into the fever cities 
than there is in the fiercest battle, and those who thus 
endangered their lives to help the sick and suffering 
displayed a heroism worthy of the highest honor. We 
have said that the people of the North and South grew 
naore friendly during Hayes' administration. Nothing 
• did more to make them so than what happened in the 
yellow fever time. 

Politics. — At the election of 1880, which was char- 
acterized by great excitement and bitterness, General 
James A. G-arfield, the Republican candidate, was chosen 
as the next President. The Democratic candidate was 
General W. S. Hancock. 

New State. — Colorado was admitted to the Union as 
a State, in 1876. 



GARFIELD'S ADMINISTRATION. 



221 



G-ARFIELD AND ARTHUR'S ADMINISTRATION. 

(ONE TERM— 1881-1885.) 

Assassination of President Garfield (1881). — General 
Garfield took his seat on the 4th of March, 1881, and his 
administration prom- 
ised to inaugurate an- 
other era of good feel- 
ing. The people of 
both parties liked the 
new President, and be- 
lieved that he meant 
to do what was best for 
the country. But, on 
the 2d of July, 1881, 
a man named Charles 
J. Guiteau, who had 
endeavored to obtain 
an office from the Pres- 
ident and failed, went 

up behind him while he was standing in a railroad sta- 
tion at Washington, and shot him in the back. 

For nearly three months, President Garfield lay 
wounded, while the whole country waited and watched 
eagerly for the news that was sent out from the sick- 
room twice a day. At last, on the 19 th of September, 
the President died, and throughout the United States 
the people were in mourning. Every man, woman, and 
child felt that a friend was gone. 




JAMES A. GAKF1L.LI). 



222 A PRIMARY HISTORY. 

Vice-President Arthur becomes President. — On the 
death of Garfield, the Vice-President, General Chester A. 
Arthur, became President for the rest of the term. 

The death of President Garfield produced a profound 
impression among the people of the country, and for a 
time put a stop to all political bickerings and strife. Mr. 
Garfield was a statesman with broad and liberal views. 
He knew wha.t the country needed to make it prosperous 
and happy. His inaugural address outlined a policy 
which, had he lived to carry it out, would have made 
his one of the most brilliant and successful administra- 
tions in the history of the country. Called suddenly to 
the Presidency, therefore, as Mr. Arthur was, he came 
into power without any well defined policy of his own, 
but he nevertheless conducted the affairs of the govern- 
ment with so much wisdom and discretion as to win the 
respect and confidence of even his political opponents. 

Civil Service Reform. — One of the questions now 
uppermost in the public mind, is that of Civil Service 
Reform. By this is meant the regulation of appoint- 
ments to positions in the service of the government. 

In the earlier days of the republic, on the accession of 
a new President, few changes were made in the minor 
offices in the public service ; but when Andrew Jackson 
was elected, what is known as the principle of rotation 
in office, was introduced. Jackson claimed that the 
various public offices under an administration should be 
filled by the friends of the administration, and not by 
its avowed enemies, or by men who were indifferent to 



ARTHUR'S ADMINISTRATION. 223 

its success. He, therefore, on coming to the Presidency, 
removed many of the government office-holders through- 
out the country, and appointed his own personal and 
political friends in their stead. 

From that time forward, every President in turn has 
followed his example. This pernicious policy has been 
the source of much corruption and disorder at the begin- 
ning of each successive administration, and many reme- 
dies have been, from time to time, proposed for its cor- 
rection. Finally, in 1871, a law was passed by Congress 
authorizing the President to institute a reform of the 
Civil Service. Commissioners were appointed by Presi- 
dent Grant, to pass upon the qualifications of applicants 
for positions under the government. This plan was tried 
until 1874, when, Congress refusing longer to provide 
the necessary means for its continuance, it was aban- 
doned. 

The subject was then buried out of sight until the 
tragic death of President G-arfield, at the hands of a dis- 
appointed office-seeker. This aroused popular attention 
to the necessity of decided action on the question, and a 
strict Civil Service law was accordingly enacted in 1883, 
during the administration of President Arthur. Under 
this law, applicants for office are compelled to undergo 
a competitive examination before a special board of ex- 
aminers. The system is yet in a crude state ; but should 
it prove acceptable to the people, two great results will 
have been attained, — the public offices will hereafter be 
filled by a better class of men, and the President, 



224 



A PRIMARY HISTORY. 



relieved from the care and anxiety of filling the offices, 
will be at liberty to devote more of his attention to great 
questions of public policy. 

Politics. — At the next election there were four candi- 
dates for President before the people. The Republicans 

nominated James Gr. 
Blaine, of Maine, 
who had been Secre- 
tary of State for a 
short time under 
the Garfield-Arthur 
administration. The 
Democrats nomi- 
nated Grover Cleve- 
land, who was then 
Governor of New 
York State. Ben- 
jamin F. Butler, of 
Massachusetts, was 
the candidate of the 
"People's Party", and John P. St. John, of Kansas, the 
candidate of the "Prohibition Party". 

The contest was carried on with great enthusiasm on 
all sides. Many questions were discussed before the 
people, and monster processions paraded through the 
streets of the principal cities. When the votes were 
finally counted, the Democratic candidate was declared 
elected ; and thus the Democratic party, after an interval 
of almost a quarter of a century, was restored to power. 




GROVER CLEVELAND. 



AirniUK'S ADMINISTRATION. 22( 



QUESTIONS. 

1. Ill what manner was slavery abolished throughout the United States? What 
question in regard to the Southern States caused much trouble? What 
were President Johnson's views upon the subject ? What stand did Con. 
gress take? For what action was the President impeached? How did 
the trial result? Tell about the restoration of the Southern States. How 
many of them were not allowed to take part in electing the next Presi- 
dent? How many amendments were made to the Constitution ? What did 
the thirteenth amendment provide for?— the fourteenth ?— the fifteenth? 
When, and from what nation, was Alaska purchased ? Of what value is 
that territory to this country ? When was Nebraska admitted as a State ? 
Who planned and carried out the laying of an ocean cable ? Tell about 
the different attempts that were made, and their success. Who were the 
candidates for President in 1868? -WTio was elected as the eighteenth 
President ? 

2. What great enterprise reached completion in 1869? Whose dream did the 

Pacific Railroad realize? What was the Alabama Question? In what way 
was the difficulty finally settled ? "What effect did this result have upon 
the people of the two countries ? When did the Chicago fire occur ?— the 
fire in the lumber regions ?— the Boston fire ? Give particulars in regard to 
each. Why was the " Liberal Bepublican Party " formed ? Who were 
candidates for President at the next election? Which was successful? 

3. Tell about the "Panic of 1873". When and where was the "Centennial Ex- 

hibition " held ? G-ive an account of its success. What Indian war took 
place in 1873 ? What act of treachery was committed by the Indians ? 
What was the result of the war? 'WTien did the Sioux war occur? "Wliat 
terrible massacre took place ? How was the war terminated ? Who were 
the candidates for President at the next election ? In what manner was 
the dispute about the election set at rest ? AVho was declared elected ? 

4. What was the condition of the country in 1877? When did paper money 

become equal in value to gold? What was the cause of the "Railroad 
Riots"? Tell about the " Yellow Pever Epidemics ". How did they pro- 
duce better feelings between the North and South ? A^io was elected as 
the next President? What State was admitted to the Union in 1876? 

5. In what way was President Garfield looked upon by the people of all parties ? 

Tell about his assassination. Who became President? In what way did 
Arthur perform his duties? Give an account of "Civil Service Reform". 
"VVTien was the " Civil Service Bill " passed ? What was the object of the 
law? Name the four candidates at the next election. Who became the 
twenty-second President? What party thus came again into power? 
G. Name the Presidents in their order from Washington to Cleveland. Name in 
their order the States admitted to the Union from the close of the Revo- 
lution to the present time. 



